


Panthera Onca

by asamandra



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Married Couple, Nightmares, Prompt Fill, because werewolfes are boring, lycanthropy, werepanther
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-30
Updated: 2014-08-17
Packaged: 2017-12-25 03:13:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 21,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/947967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamandra/pseuds/asamandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint gets infected with lycanthropy</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt on avengerkink: [Any, team gen or Any/Any pairing - One Avenger gets infected with Lycanthropy](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/17385.html?thread=38647785#t38647785)
> 
> Due to one reason or another (visiting Asgard, mad scientist made some genetic experiment, lycanthropes have always been around) one of the Avengers is bitten and contracts lycanthropy.
> 
> It doesn't have to be the traditional werewolf - perhaps this lycanthrope's other form was a tiger or a bat or a bear (or if you want to go with something more lighthearted, maybe a mouse or a rabbit), go nuts!
> 
> Go funny (jokes about animal traits and housebreaking) or go angsty (counting down to the full moon and brooding up a storm), just go there, anons!
> 
> And if you want to go sexy with a pairing, I am not adverse to some wild times in the bedroom. ;)

“Can you see him, Hawkeye?” Natasha asked over the comms.

“No, he... disappeared.” Clint whispered. He looked around but the guy could be everywhere. The forest was really thick, it was pitch-black. On this ground Clint couldn't move without noise and the guy he was after would hear him. He pointed with his sidearm between his feet, he wouldn't want to kill the wrong person by accident and took the scenery in again.

“What do you mean, he disappeared? He ran in your direction.” Nat seemed furious.

“I don't know. One second he was here, the next he was gone.” Clint carefully moved a few steps, looked behind him and then took the next few steps. 

“He can't...” Nat started again.

“Sshh... I hear something...” Clint whispered again. He lifted his gun and concentrated on the surrounding. 

“Hawkeye, everything okay?” Phil asked now and angrily Clint pulled out the earbud. He knew they would rip him a new one but at the moment they were too distracting. He shoved it in his pocket but held his gun raised and looked around. He took a few deep breaths and then he listened again. 

And now he could hear a slight growl to his left. That moment the wind decided to shove away the clouds and the full moon enlightened the whole scenery. 

“Damn!” Clint grumbled. Just when he needed the darkness. He slipped into the shadow of a tree and listened again. The growl came still from his left. He raised his gun and moved towards the sound, carefully, using the shadows and breathing as soft as possible. 

That moment he saw a hint of yellow, the usual A.I.M. lab clothing and then he heard the man. It sounded as if he chuckled and he started to run again.

“Fuck!” Clint grumbled and took up the hunt. That man was quick and something in his movements wasn't quite right but Clint didn't have the time to think about his odd running habits. He had to capture or kill the guy. Right now the moon was helpful and he didn't realize how far apart from his team he already was. 

Suddenly the guy disappeared again. One moment he could see him, the next he was gone. 

“The fuck...” Clint pressed himself against a large tree, his gun raised and he looked around. Trees, trees, more trees and undergrowth but the guy was gone again. A branch cracked to his right and he felt adrenalin shoot through his veins. With the gun aimed he looked in the direction, but he couldn't see anything. And now he heard something to his left. Violently he turned around and stared but still couldn't see anything. 

He started to move again, slid from tree to tree, from shadow to shadow and tried to find the guy. He could hear him and he was pretty sure that he mocked him with the slight noises he made. He just wanted to pass a bush when he spotted the yellow fabric again. But this time it laid on the floor, discarded, shredded. 

“What the...” Clint started when he heard a loud growl behind him. He spun around, pointed at the spot he heard the noise coming from but no one was there. 

“Come out, motherfucker.” Clint spat now and swallowed. He looked around but he could only see trees and now he discovered, what bugged him the whole time. There wasn't any other noise than his and the guy's. It was deadly quiet when neither of them moved. 

A chuckle from his right side let him turn around once again. He pointed his gun in the direction but it was only darkness he could see. He pressed himself once again against a tree and took deep breaths to steady his fast beating heart. _Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth, repeat it. Repeat it. Repeat it. Concentration and now listen,_ he thought and closed his eyes. The growling and the slight sounds came from his right. He concentrated his ears onto the sound then raised his gun, turned and shot thrice. 

The furious hissing told him that he hit his target but apparently, the guy was still alive. And those sounds weren't entirely human. Clint pointed still in the direction, when he suddenly saw a moving black shadow and something hit him from the side. He turned on the ground and a huge animal with black fur stood over him. It growled and hissed and Clint wanted to move his gun to shoot again but the animal's paw hit his arm and the gun was slapped out of his hand. He tried to scramble backwards but collided with a tree and the animal followed him. It seemed as if it had glowing eyes but surely he just had hit his head. There weren't any animals with glowing eyes, Clint thought and reached for the knife he had on his belt. 

The beast jumped in his direction and Clint drew aside but attacked it in the same movement. It growled again and bared it's teeth, long, white and dangerously sharp teeth. It glared furiously at Clint and now he really began to doubt his own sanity. Animals don't glare furiously! 

Clint moved backwards, wanted to get to his gun but the beast jumped in his direction and attacked the hand he held the knife in. 

“The fuck!” He managed and then he had to duck the other claw or his head wouldn't be connected to his body anymore. He had lost his knife as well and the only idea that crossed his mind right now was: _Run!_

He never had seen an animal like this and he was unarmed. Maybe he got the chance to lure the beast away from his weapons and then turn and get to them. He had to try it. 

As fast as possible Clint turned and started to run. He heard the growling of the animal behind him and he heard it's feet on the ground and it was fucking fast! He turned left and wanted to run back to his weapons but the animal cut him off. 

_That's not possible!_ he thought and tried it again with the other direction. But once again the beast was in his way and blocked him. And the growling suddenly sounded like chuckling and Clint thought he'd lost his mind. He bend down to grab a thick branch. At least he wouldn't give up without a fight. 

But when the black beast finally jumped in his direction and attacked him directly his makeshift weapon was useless in the end. The animal slapped it out of his hands like it had done with the gun and the knife. He tried to attack the animal with his hands but he never fought against anything like this and he didn't have any idea how to kill it. He landed a few blows and two kicks with his feet but in the end he found himself on the ground and the beast stood over him, it's teeth bared and it growled and hissed violently. It was something cat like, he now could identify. _At least you know what killed you,_ he thought and then the beast seemed to chuckle again and Clint shook his head. 

That was definitely not possible. Animals can't chuckle! But before he could react the black cat pressed him down onto the ground and he felt it's teeth sink into the skin beside his neck. He screamed. It hurt like hell and he kicked with his feet against the cat's belly. 

But then it withdrew and grinned at him. It struck Clint's head with it's paw and the last thing he saw before the lights went out was the animal standing up on it's hind legs and walk away.


	2. Chapter 2

When he opened his eyes he found himself in a quinjet. He lay on a stretcher and Phil sat beside him, looking concerned. 

“The fuck happened?” Clint slurred drowsily and tried to move his arm. That tiny movement hurt like a bitch and he yelped. 

“Don't move.” Phil said. “You got attacked by an animal.” 

“Dr. Holland?” Clint asked and yawned. 

“He could escape.” Phil pressed his lips tight together. 

“Sorry.” Clint mumbled and yawned again. “Did they give me something?” He finally asked when he had to yawn the third time in a row.

“Something for the pain.” 

“Darn.” He grumbled again. 

“Dammit, Barton! Some beast nearly ripped out your throat and you complain about painkillers? The medics had to piece you together with twenty seven stitches!” Natasha barked from the other side. “You asshole removed your earbud! What...” she snarled but when Phil shook his head she stopped her rambling. 

“You didn't stop talking.” Clint shrugged, or at least he tried to but once again, the moment he moved his shoulder he yelped in pain. It really felt as if someone had tried to rip it off.

“Twenty seven stitches?” He then asked when he realized what Natasha said a few seconds before. 

“Medic said if we'd found you ten minutes later you'd be dead. You got a blood transfusion right there.” She was still furious and glared at him. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled again and yawned once more. Phil looked at the medic beside Natasha and nodded and the man injected something into the IV tube and a few seconds later Clint closed his eyes again.

 

“... can't throw me out! That's my husband in that bed and...” That was Tony's voice.

“Mr. Stark, I can understand...” a female voice answered.

“No, you can't! I won't move a millimeter.” 

Clint opened his eyes again and groaned. It was way too bright in the room and he shut his eyes as fast as possible. 

“Clint!” He could hear Tony's voice at his side. He had heard him moaning. 

“Psshhht. Too loud!” 

“Okay, we're quiet.” He felt a hand taking his and rubbing it's back. 

“Where am I?” Clint asked, his eyes still closed. 

“SHIELD infirmary. I've told them to bring you to Dr. Crane but they refused.” Clint tried to remember who this Dr. Crane was but his brain was still foggy from all the painkillers. He hated this stuff, it always made him so drowsy. 

“Mr. Stark, please. We need to take a look at his shoulder and...”

“Then do it. I've seen worse and I won't leave him alone.” 

“It's okay.” Clint slurred. He was still drugged up to the eyeballs and his head felt as if someone stuffed it with cotton candy.

“You are lucky things didn't turn out worse. A few inches more right and you'd be dead.” The doctor said when she opened the bandage. He could hear Tony's breath speed up when he saw the wound but Clint didn't say anything. He knew that it had to be bad, he could feel it and Tony's reaction confirmed his assumption.

“How bad is it, doc?” Clint asked and the woman looked at Tony, then she licked her lips. 

“It's... there are a few... we don't know if you would get back full mobility,” she finally said.

“And what's that supposed to mean?” Clint's brain was still a little slow on the uptake.

“It's possible that you can't use a bow anymore,” the doctor explained.

“No!” Clint sounded desperate.

“We'll figure something out, babe,” Tony said and glared at the younger woman. “But first you have to heal.” 

“No, Tony! It's... I can't... It's...” he started to hyperventilate and the doctor left, came back a few seconds later and injected something into the IV tube. “Tony, I... I... That's what I need... I can't...” 

“Shhh, babe. We'll handle that.” Tony held his hand till the medicament finally kicked in and Clint closed his eyes again. 

 

When he woke again it was dark in the room. But Clint felt good. Nothing hurt and his head was clear. He could think again.

The doctor said, it was possible that he wouldn't be able to shoot a bow again. It should scare him. But it didn't. His shoulder felt fine. Really fine. He tried to move it and he didn't have any problems. 

Carefully he looked around. Tony sat on a chair in one of the corners, a StarkPad on his knees and his head leaning against the wall. He snored slightly with open mouth. Clint turned his head. Except from Tony no one else was there. He pulled down the hospital gown to look at his shoulder but there was a bandage and it itched really bad right now. No one was here.

He deliberated for a few seconds to call one of the nurses but then curiosity kicked in and he unwrapped the bandage. It was easier than expected, given that the doctor said his shoulder was shredded. Something fell down with the fabric and when he looked at it he saw small knots in yarn. Why would someone put knotted yarn into a bandage? When his shoulder was bared he turned his head and looked at it.... and he saw only undamaged skin. He furrowed his brows and touched the spot with his other hand but there wasn't anything. Just skin. No scars, nothing. 

That was not possible. He was a fast healer but that was a little bit too fast. And too completely. 

Clint swallowed. Something was wrong. Really, really wrong. Quietly he left his bed, looked over at Tony who still snored on the chair. He went to the bathroom and stared at his naked chest. And his undamaged shoulder. He rolled his arm. It was fully flexible. No handicap. He swallowed hard and licked over his lips while he touched the place with his fingers. He could still feel the teeth of the animal pierce his skin and penetrate his flesh, he could feel the searing pain and the blood trickling onto the ground beneath him. But his eyes said something different. They said, there isn't anything. He was completely fit. 

_That's not good,_ he thought and stumbled back into the room with Tony. He still hadn't moved. Clint looked around and then he saw the vent coverage. It wouldn't be the first time that he used the vents to disappear out of the infirmary but it would be the first time that he left Tony behind. But he couldn't let one of the doctors see his healed shoulder. They would lock him up and run tests and stuff. No, he had to go. And with a last longing glance at his husband he opened the coverage and climbed in. 

“Sorry, babe.” He whispered and closed the coverage behind himself.


	3. Chapter 3

There were a few things about Clint no one knew. Not SHIELD, not Tony, not Natasha, not Coulson. No one. For example, that he still had a few safe houses, well, apartments. Mr. John Higgins wasn't very often in his apartment in Boston, but sometimes he makes sure everything was okay. And now he came to stay a few days.

He parked his Ducati behind the building in the backyard. Before he went to the door he looked around if there was anything suspicious but when he couldn't sense anything wrong he entered the building. He never took the elevator to get to the third floor. He carefully stepped out the staircase onto the corridor and looked to his left and his right before he entered the apartment. 

All the furniture, and that wasn't really that much, was covered with sheets. He opened the windows to let in some fresh air and then started to remove the sheets from the couch. With a sigh he flopped down and leaned his head back to stare at the ceiling.

Something really weird was going on. Apparently his work with SHIELD or the Avengers wasn't strange enough. So he had to deal with this kind of shit now. He went to the kitchen, fetched a glass from one of the cupboards and rinsed it out before he searched for some liquor. He found a half empty bottle of Tequila and he filled his glass and took it together with the bottle to the living room. He removed the sheet from the table and placed both items on it. 

With a sigh he stripped out of his shirt, took a long sip of his alcohol and then he went to the bathroom. The mirror was covered in dust but Clint opened a drawer, took a cloth and cleaned the mirror. He could see his image staring at him and he had to swallow. He looked at his shoulder but there was nothing to see. The skin was undamaged as if never anything had happened. He touched the area and this time he couldn't feel anything but his fingers. 

In the hospital he still felt the teeth of the animal but now, only his fingers. He pressed at the skin but nothing unusual. 

“That's not possible!” He shook his head, turned around and looked at his back over his shoulder. He could see old scars from bullet wounds, stab wounds, burn marks. There were the faint scars from his father's belt and the not so faint scars from Trick Shot's riding crop. There were the cigarette burns from one of his foster fathers and there was the scar from the surgery on his spine but nothing to see from that bite. 

“The fuck is wrong with you?” He sounded desperate. Wounds don't disappear. That doesn't happen. Never. It takes time and then they scar. But they don't disappear as if they had never been there. 

Clint opened the cupboard again and got his first aid kit. He searched for the scalpel in there. He knew it was insane but he _had_ to be sure. And after a deep breath he gritted his teeth and cut through his own skin, cut open the spot, where the beast had bitten into. He felt the pain and grunted slightly but he had to be sure. He felt the blood trickle over his chest and back when he put the scalpel away and pressed his finger into the wound. It hurt and he panted really harsh right now but he tried to find out if there was something in the wound that had let it disappear without a trace. With one hand he had to grab the sink to hold himself upright but with the other he searched in the wound for something that would explain why the bite was gone. But there wasn't anything. Just his own flesh, his blood, his bone and his knees gave in. He stopped pulling around in his shoulder and stared at his bloody finger. 

When he was back on his own feet he still stared at the blood and finally he sniffed at his fingers. He could smell the coppery scent and he licked over his lips. He sniffed again and then, he couldn't resist, he licked the blood away. It tasted delicious and he licked his fingers clean and moaned approvingly, his eyes closed in entrancement. It was sweet and sharp, he could taste the metal and he could smell the protein and the glucose and he knew that it was really, really weird but he couldn't stop licking his fingers and when they were clean he coated them once again in the shoulder wound and licked them clean. But when he tried to repeat it for the third time he found the blood had stopped to trickle down his body and he stared at his shoulder. The cut already had started to close. 

Clint swallowed hard and shook his head again. He looked up and into the mirror and he saw his face, saw the blood smears around his mouth and he started to retch. He fell down to his knees, still retching and grabbed the john with both hands, opened the lid just in time. He puked till his stomach hurt and only bile came up and then he leaned against the wall. 

“God, what is wrong with you?” he asked himself and then he discovered that he started to talk to himself and he giggled hysterically but felt the tears flow over his face in the same moment. 

It took some time but finally he managed to calm himself and still leaned against the wall at the floor. He had the foul taste of bile in his mouth and he got up and rinsed his mouth before he took a few gulps of water. He once again stared at his image in the mirror and once again his shoulder was undamaged. The scalpel was still there on the sink and with a shaking hand he took it and cut through the skin in his hand. He had to know. 

And like last time, as soon as he smelled the blood he wanted to lick it away but he restrained himself and just looked at the wound. At first nothing happened but then the cut started to close itself. 

“That's not possible!” he yelped and tore at his hair. He grabbed the scalpel and drove it through his hand with full force. It hurt like a motherfucker, he felt the sinews rupture and the blade scratch the bone and he screamed this time. But when he removed it and threw it into the sink it didn't take much time and the wound started to close. 

Clint stumbled backwards, still staring at his shocked image in the mirror till his knees hit the couch. He staggered and then he fell onto it. That moment he saw the Tequila and he emptied the glass in one big gulp. He considered to refill it but then he drank just from the bottle. 

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” he mumbled, still tearing at his hair and staring at his hand. The wound was closed and no one would ever think that it was damaged just minutes ago. 

“Something really, really weird is going on, Clint!” And again he started to giggle and to cry at the same moment and from time to time he took a sip of the alcohol. He couldn't, he didn't want to think about his condition right now. He was a freak, a monster... a mutant? Like Logan? _Oh god, anything but that!_ He knew that SHIELD didn't want to have mutants work for them and he didn't want to have to go to Xavier and that other Freaks of his. He emptied the bottle and swayed into the kitchen. There was another one and together with the bottle he stumbled into the bedroom. He removed the sheet from the bed and let himself fall down on it, the bottle in his arms. 

“If there's a god out there... well... an other god than Thor... or Loki... please, don't let this be true,” he pleaded in his drunk state of mind and then he opened the Tequila and downed the first third in a few seconds. He coiled up on the mattress around his bottle and giggling, crying and drinking he finally sank down in a sort-of coma.


	4. Chapter 4

Someone screamed right beside him and Clint woke with a start. He searched for his gun but it wasn't there and he grabbed the empty bottle as makeshift weapon. But when he looked around he was alone. Light fell into the room and he tried to get his bearings. Yes, Boston, Charlestown. Then it all came back. The fucked up mission, the escaped scientist, the attack from the animal, the disappearance of the bite wound on his shoulder, the cut with the scalpel, the taste of his own blood and he felt his stomach cramp again. 

He heard the yelling again. Someone had a really nasty argument, apparently in the apartment beside him and he banged against the wall, they should shut up. He leaned against the headboard of the bed and covered his ears with his hand but they didn't stop screaming and yelling and insulting each other. Clint had a murderous headache and he wanted to suffer in quietness but when they went on with their fight he couldn't contain himself any longer and he left his apartment and pounded against his neighbors door. He was ready to rip them a new one when he saw a small, elderly woman open the door. She was way beyond eighty, smiled brightly and looked curious at him through her huge glasses. Clint could see a cane in her hand.

“Yes, dear?” she asked and looked up at him. 

“Oh... uhm... I heard someone fight and... and... I thought...” he stammered, baffled. This old woman definitely wasn't the source of the yelling.

“You're new here, dear?” she asked. Clint nodded and the woman eyed him up, still smiling. “You don't look good, dear.” 

“I... I know... I haven't... I...” Clint still stammered. The woman sighed and stepped aside, beckoned him to enter her apartment. She went to her kitchen and Clint followed her mechanically. 

“Sit down, dear.” She pointed at a chair beside a small, rickety table and Clint obeyed. The woman filled water in her electric kettle and switched it on. Then she grabbed two mugs and placed them on the table, fetched two tea bags and put them into the mugs. When the water bubbled she filled the mugs and shoved one over to Clint before she took the second chair.

“My name is Glenda.” She said and stirred in her mug. Clint was still puzzled and he stared at her, but then he remembered his fake name. “John.” He just said.

“That's nice, dear. My second husband's name was John, too.” She smiled. 

“Uhm... I don't want to be rude or anything... but...” Clint started and looked at the woman.

“My mother told me when someone is upset offer him a tea. It will make things better.” Glenda smiled.

“Thanks.” He murmured and took a sip. 

“You don't look very good, dear.” She said and took her mug with both hands.

“I've heard someone fight. They yelled and insulted each other.” Clint said and took another sip from the mug.

“The McCulloughs fight the whole day. He's unemployed and she works graveyard shift. But they live in the first floor. You can't hear them from here.” 

“Is her name Bonnie and his Tom?” Clint asked and then Glenda lifted a brow and nodded.

“Yes, that's them. You have to have really good hearing.” She said. And Clint swallowed. In fact his hearing was never really good. He had perfect sight but his hearing was average at the best. He emptied the mug in two big gulps and then he rose. 

“Thanks for the tea, Glenda. But it's better, when I go now,” he fled out of her apartment and entered his. 

_Oh god, what happens here?_ He leaned against his door and slumped down, banged his head against the wood and felt another tear in his eye. Something really, really weird is going on. 

He still could hear Bonnie and Tom yell and now, when he closed his eyes, he could hear Glenda in her apartment, could hear her walking around and humming. He could hear dogs bark outside the building and every sound seemed to be right beside him. 

He opened his eyes, grabbed his jacket, his wallet and his keys and left the apartment hurriedly. At first he wanted to go to his Ducati but then he decided against it and went out onto the streets. And the noises started to increase. He could hear the people talking, he could hear their feet, he could hear animals, dogs, cats, birds, bees, he could hear cars and a train. He saw a man sit on a bench, waiting for the bus and Clint looked at him, concentrated on him and he could hear everything. He could hear his heart beating, he could hear the digestion in his intestines, he could hear the slight shuffling of his feet and the gnashing of his teeth and that set him in full panic mode.

He turned to walk away as fast as possible but the noises followed him. He still heard the people, heard them talk even if they were too far away to be heard, the engines of the cars hurt his ears, someone honked and Clint nearly fell down. He covered his ears and ignored the looks of the other people and then he spotted a cab. He hailed it over and when it held and the driver asked for his destination Clint just said somewhere outside where it's quiet.

“What?” the man asked and stared back at him.

“Just drive... out of the city. I don't care as long as it's quiet there.” He winced and curled up on the backseat, covering his ears. 

That beast who bit him, Clint was pretty sure that he got infected with something really nasty. Since that bite he had changed. He had no idea what it could be but he knew, that it wasn't good. And he knew that he needed help. But for now, he needed quietness.


	5. Chapter 5

It was night but due to the fact that full moon was only three days ago it was still not too dark. Clint sat in a tree. He finally found a place where it was fairly quiet. The cab driver threw him out near a golf club and disappeared as if demons were behind him. 

Clint had heard people playing golf the whole afternoon and that was really disturbing. He walked around some time and then he found a few trees and there it was mostly quiet. He still could hear the animals and it was still annoying but he hadn't had a panic attack lately. There were a few houses not far away but he couldn't hear the people there. At least.

He knew that he needed answers and the best possibility would be Tony but what if he was contagious? And then it hit him. What if he was contagious? He had talked to people, he sat in Glenda's kitchen, in the cab! Tony, Tasha, Coulson! Fuck! 

Clint needed to go back to his apartment. He couldn't risk to call another cab, not if there was a chance that he could infect other people. He saw the club house of the golf club from his perch and finally jumped down. There was a good chance to find a vehicle at the club house. 

He just walked around the area when he sensed another presence. He swallowed but kept walking. Then he heard a voice. “Come on, Buster. Can you finally do your business. I want to go back to bed.” A female voice muttered and then he could smell a dog and Clint nearly freaked out. He could fucking _smell_ the presence of a dog. But apparently the dog could smell him as well because suddenly there was a huge Great Dane, barking viciously, on it's way to him.

“Buster! Buster! Come back!” He heard the woman yell but the dog ignored her. Clint, who never had problems with dogs before, found himself once again in a tree and waiting for the woman to arrive. He could kill the dog in a second if he wanted to, he knew that, but he wouldn't want to harm the animal. 

A few seconds later a woman, mid-forties arrived and stared disbelievingly at Clint, sitting on a thick branch and her dog trying to get to him, still barking and growling. 

“Buster! The fuck is wrong with you?” The woman snarled at the dog.

“Oh my god, did he hurt you?” She asked and seemed really concerned. 

“No.” Clint said and waited till she had the dog leashed. She tried to drag him away but due to the fact that the dog weighs surely forty pounds more than her she had her difficulties. 

“Come on, Buster.” She pulled at the leash but Buster didn't move an inch. 

“Is he always this aggressive?” Clint asked and the woman blushed.

“No, never. He just freaks out this much when he sees a cat. You don't have a cat with you, do you?” 

“No, only me. Tell you what. You tie him to the tree and wait till I'm gone.” Clint suggested and the woman nodded. She tied the leash around the trunk and in addition held the dog at his collar. Clint moved to the other side, jumped down and stepped back, out of the reach of the Great Dane. He still barked, bared his teeth and growled. 

“I'm really sorry, sir. I don't know what's wrong with him. He never did something like that before.” 

“It's okay.” Clint said but in fact he was puzzled. He thought about this encounter while he walked away. As long as he remembered he always had a knack for dogs. This behavior was new to him.

.

He jogged over to the club house of the golf club and found, as expected, cars parked behind the building. He looked at his watch, nearly midnight, but there were still people there. 

At first he thought about smashing the window of one of the cars but all of them were new and not really cheap, they had the newest security tech. The 'old school way' to steal them wouldn't work anymore. But when he found a golf ball he had an idea.

He looked around and when he saw an Audi S8 he triggered the alarm. Clint went a few steps away and ducked behind another car. He only had to wait a minute and then a man came out to look after the car. He switched off the alarm, walked around it and when he couldn't see anything he turned to move back to the club house. Clint threw the ball and hit the guy at the back of his head. And he hit him this hard, that he fell down. One thing, he'd learned from Coulson. Everything can be a weapon if you know how to use it. 

He walked over to the guy and saw a bunch of keys in his hand.

“Thank you for your cooperation.” He murmured Tasha's favorite line when he took it. He only removed the car keys and threw the rest onto his chest and then he turned back to the car.

And then Clint stopped dead in his tracks. He stared at his reflexion and then touched his face. He still wore his sunglasses. With shaking hands he removed them but the light from the moon and the building behind him was too glaring. 

“The fuck...” He cursed and put the sunglasses back on. When he heard a moan behind him he opened the car, started the engine and drove away. 

But after a few minutes he felt his hands starting to shake. Finally, the next panic attack. Exactly what he needed right now. He stopped the car beside the street back to his apartment. Once again he removed the shades, this time with his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and then he opened them again. He could see everything. It was difficult to differ some colors but he could fucking see as if it was bright daylight.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh god...” he leaned forward and banged his forehead against the wheel. 

Tony! He needed to go to Tony. If there was someone who could help him then it was Tony. Once again he started the car, drove with shades and still shaking hands back to his apartment. But he left the car a few streets away from his building, the key in the lock. Someone would take care of the Audi.

Without entering the apartment he went to the backyard, climbed onto his Ducati and drove back to New York. He needed his husband right now.


	6. Chapter 6

“Anything happened?” Steve asked when he entered Tony's lab. But the other man just shook his head. Steve could see the deep lines in his face, the dark rings under his eyes and the generally rumpled state he was in. 

“Tony, when was the last time you slept?” He grabbed his shoulder and turned him around but Tony shrugged off his hands and went back to his computer. 

“Dunno.” He mumbled and stared at his coffee mug.

“Seventy eight hours ago, Captain Rogers.” Jarvis chipped in.

“Tony, you're killing yourself.” 

“I can't go to sleep as long as I don't know where Clint is and what happened to him.” Tony mumbled and yawned.

“SHIELD is on it, Coulson and his team are on it. Natasha is on it. We all are on it. We'll find him.” Steve said and once again turned Tony around but this time he shrugged of Cap's hands violently and glared at him.

“Clint is _my_ husband, not yours, not SHIELD's, not Natasha's and not Coulson's. And when he's in danger it's _my_ duty to help him!” He spat. 

“Tony, but you can't help him in your current state. You...” Steve couldn't finish his sentence because Tony's phone rang. 

Tony looked at the number but it was unknown. 

“Yes?” he answered the call.

_'Tony, it's me, Clint. Please, stay calm and don't flip out. Are you alone?'_

“No, Steve is here,” he just said. He'd heard the strain in Clint's voice and even though he wanted nothing more than yell at him as much as crawl through the phone to his husband he waited till he explained himself.

_'I need to talk to you alone. Please. I'm sorry that I disappeared but... I'll explain everything to you. But now I need to talk to you alone. Please.'_

“No, I still haven't heard anything from him.” Tony said and Clint understood that he couldn't talk. 

_'Can you come to the place we first met? In two hours?'_ Clint asked.

“Yes, I'll let you know. Thanks for your call, Rhodey.” 

“Please, Tony. You need to sleep.” Steve said again, when Tony finished the call. And finally Tony sighed. 

“Yeah, whatever.” He grumbled and left his lab. 

“That was too easy, wasn't it?” Steve asked and Jarvis confirmed it. 

“Yes, Captain Rogers.” 

“Can you... can you tell me who called him?” 

“Sir, I...” Jarvis started but Steve interrupted him. 

“It's important. I don't want him to hurt himself.” 

“The call came from a prepaid phone and it got deactivated afterwards.” The AI told him. 

Steve took his own cell and called Coulson. 

“Phil, Tony just got a call from a prepaid phone and Jarvis said, it got deactivated right after the call. He said, it was Colonel Rhodes but somehow I don't believe him.” He heard the other man sigh.

“We're on it,” he said and quit the call.

“Captain Rogers, I should tell you that Mr. Stark apparently left the building.” Jarvis interjected. 

“What? When? And do you know where to?” 

“I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark changed my subroutines. I couldn't tell you and now I can not locate him.”

“Bastard.” Steve muttered. “Jarvis, call the rest of the team. Now we need to find Clint _and_ Tony.”


	7. Chapter 7

The place they first met, Tony thought when he left his lab and Steve. Technically the place they first met was the helicarrier, but he was pretty sure that wasn't the place Clint meant. No, the place they first met was the street where they assembled while fighting against the Chitauri.

Tony went to the next computer terminal, opened Jarvis' code and typed in a small change. 

“Sir, what are you...” the AI started but suddenly stopped.

“Sorry, J.” Tony mumbled and went to his penthouse. He stepped out onto the plattform where Iron Man could start and land and activated the suit. It took only a few seconds and he was in the air, heading to the former battleground.

Clint wasn't here. Not yet. He had said two hours. _He will come,_ Tony thought. He stayed in the air and looked down but then he spotted a familiar roof and with a smirk Tony landed. 

_'Want to give me a lift?' Clint had asked and Tony had grinned in his suit when he had answered 'Right. Better clench up, Legolas.' He flew him up onto the roof Cap told him to and the younger man nodded his thanks when Tony left him alone._

He opened the faceplate of his helmet and sat down on the stonelike balustrade. 

“I knew you'd find the right place.” Tony heard a voice and turned around. He had waited about an hour when Clint finally appeared.

“Clint!” he rose and made a step in his direction but when he saw his husband step back he stopped dead in his tracks.

“Clint?” 

“Please, don't. Don't touch me.” He said and Tony felt all the color drain out of him. 

“It's... you've done nothing wrong,” Clint said immediately. Apparently he'd 'read' Tony's thoughts. “It's... possible that I'm contagious.” 

“Contagious? Clint, for fucks sake, what happened? You disappear without a trace for days and then you call me and now you say you might be contagious.” 

“Is... did anyone of you... you, Phil, Tasha, the medic, someone else... do you have... strange symptoms?” Clint asked, still on distance, still wary. 

“What kind of symptoms?” 

“Anything unusual.” Clint just said.

“No, nothing. At least, I don't have any symptoms. I don't know about the others.” 

“Thank god.” Clint took a step now in Tony's direction and only two seconds later he found himself in Iron Man's iron embrace. 

“God, what happened. I was worried sick!” Tony held him close and stroked over his hair.

“I...” Clint started but couldn't finish the sentence, his husband's lips closed his and Tony kissed him fervently. 

“Don't... don't you ever do something like that to me again!” He said and Clint saw a tear forming in his eye. “Oh fuck, sorry!” Tony suddenly scrambled back. “Your shoulder, I squeezed it. Did I hurt you? Is everything okay?” 

Clint nodded and swallowed. “That's one of the strange symptoms.” He said and shrugged out of his jacket and removed his shirt.

“The bite. It's gone.” Tony gasped and stared at the undamaged skin on Clint's shoulder. “How's that possible?”

“I don't know. That's why I left.” Clint said and put on his shirt again. 

“But...” Tony started.

“Please, no one...” 

“Yes, you're right.” Tony nodded, then looked up. “What about Bruce?” 

“He wouldn't turn me in, would he?” 

“I won't allow anyone to lay hand on you.” Tony grumbled.

“Okay.” Clint finally nodded. 

“Let's get you home.” Tony wanted to grab Clint around his waist and fly him to the tower when he stopped him.

“What about my bike?” 

“I'll send someone to pick it up. You don't think I will let you get out of my eyes again?” Tony smirked and tightened the grip. 

“Possessive bastard.” Clint grinned and Tony kissed him once again. 

“Love you, too.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Okay, Jarvis. Could you please call...” Tony started as soon as they were back in their penthouse but Clint stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Wait. Please, wait.” Tony seemed confused. 

“I thought...” 

“Yes, we ask him... but not now. Can... can we just... can we just have a moment?” 

“Sure. We can have all the time we need...” Tony nodded.

“Jarvis, privacy protocol alpha alpha one, please.” Clint said.

“Sir?” The AI asked. Tony needed to confirm it.

“Jarvis, privacy protocol alpha alpha one.” Tony repeated.

“Very well.” Jarvis said and then they could hear him initiate the required protocol.

“Okay, we're alone now. No one can come in, no one can go out the next twelve hours.” 

“Except you with your suit.” Clint said and cocked his head. “Jarvis, can you lock in the suit?”

“So, you want to lock me in?” Tony asked and the grin wasn't the usual shit-eating grin, it was nervous, Clint could tell and... well... Tony's heartbeat was too fast. It was scaring to know that but he could hear it.

“Come with me.” Clint held his hand out for Tony to take and after a millisecond of hesitation he took it. The younger man led him to the bedroom and sat down on the huge bed.

“What...” 

“I'm pretty sure you haven't slept the last days and I know it's my fault but before I tell you all the shit, I want you to sleep.” And when he saw Tony's glance, he added, “...only sleep. Just... you know... lie down, close your eyes, let me hold you, rest.” 

“Clint, please... this all is...”

“I know, babe. I know and... I promise I _will_ tell you everything and I show you and I let Bruce put me through the mill and I'll do everything you want. But now I want you to rest. You... I'd say you look like something the cat dragged in but... I know it's my fault.” 

“No, it's not... it's...” Tony started again but Clint dragged him down and this time he had the feeling that it was much easier. Tony also noticed it and Clint could see him swallow. 

“Tony...” And finally the older man nodded and sat down beside him and Clint started to strip him out of his shirt and pants but he left him in his boxers. Tony licked his lips when Clint removed his shoes and socks. And then he undressed himself, climbed onto the bed and pulled Tony down in an embrace. He laid behind Tony and covered them both.

“Jarvis, can you please dim the light?” Clint asked and the AI obeyed immediately. He pressed his body against Tony's, wrapped his arm around his waist and held him as tight as possible. He could feel Tony's fingers intertwine with his and his thumb stroking his hand. 

“Tony, I'm so scared.” He finally pressed through his teeth and the older man turned around to face Clint. “Something happens to me and... and I... I don't know what it is. I don't want to lose you.” 

“You won't lose me. I'll be there for you. For better or for worse, remember?” Clint felt Tony's hand on his neck and his lips on his, gentle and soft. “I'll be always there for you.” he murmured. Tony knew how much Clint trusted him or he would never have admitted to be scared. And he was sure that Tony was the only who ever would hear this. 

“What if...” Clint started again but Tony shook his head.

“Don't... I told you the day you accepted to marry me that I will be there for you. Whatever it is that happens to you, we're in this together and we find a solution together. I've told you, you're stuck with me now.”

“But...” 

“No, no but's. It's us and not you or me. Whatever happens to one of us the other one is there. When I got hit from that poisonous lizardspit three months ago and the doctors thought that I wouldn't make it, you've been there the whole time. Now it's my time to be here for you. Whatever it takes.”

“You do realize that I love you?” Clint said and looked up at Tony and the older man just smiled and kissed him again. 

 

 

Clint woke with a start. He hadn't intended to drift off to sleep as well. He just wanted Tony to sleep. Something was wrong. He felt wrong. He looked around and saw Tony sleep beside him, saw his exposed skin and he could smell him. He smelled delicious. Clint turned to Tony, bent down and sniffed at his skin. Irresistible. He moved his hands over Tony's skin, felt the tiny hairs on his arm, felt the pulse whenever he crossed a vein, he heard his heart beat and this smell. He leaned down, licked over his neck and the fuck! He also tasted delicious. He scratched slightly over Tony's chest with his fingernails and they seemed deformed, long and sharp and pointy and they left small trails of blood on his body. Clint took in the scent. His blood smelled different than his own and he leaned in and licked over the scratches, lapped the blood away. He could taste him, his reactor and Clint moaned. He left more trails of blood with his fingernails and then he lapped it away and Tony moved under him, groaned and twisted but didn't wake up. Clint moved upwards, left a trail of bloody saliva and then he reached his throat. He pressed a kiss at the carotid when he took in the odor of his husband. He closed his eyes and opened his mouth and then he felt his teeth sink into the skin, tasted the blood, heard the gurgling noise of Tony trying to get away, felt him struggling and with a roar he ripped out his throat. And when he saw the other man's dying eyes he threw his head in his neck and roared.


	9. Chapter 9

“Clint! Clint, the fuck! Wake up! Please, wake up!” Tony slapped his face slightly and shook him and he eventually scrambled awake screaming. 

“Tony!” he breathed when he recognized the other man. “Oh god, you're alive!” He grabbed him in a painful embrace, held him and started to sob when Tony patted his shoulder.

“It was a nightmare, babe. Just a nightmare.” He soothed the younger man. 

“I killed you.” Clint managed between sobs and hiccups. 

“No, it was just a nightmare.” Tony murmured and held him tight against his chest.

“It was so realistic. I could feel it.”

“Shh... it's okay. It was just a nightmare. Nothing happened. I'm alive, you're alive and I have you.”

“No!” Clint stared at Tony for a second and then he left the bed hastily, went to the other side of the room. 

“What...” Tony wanted to follow him but he stopped him with a gesture with his hand.

“No, please... it's... stay away...”

“Why?” Clint's behavior was really strange. 

“Clint, please. Talk to me.” 

“It's dangerous. I'm dangerous. I shouldn't have come. I was an idiot... I... I thought... Fuck!” Clint wanted to grab his clothes but Tony stopped him by walking up to him. The archer immediately scrambled backwards and went to the bathroom. He slammed the door shut and then Tony could hear him lock himself in.

“Clint, this is ridiculous. Come out. It was just a nightmare. You often have nightmares, remember?” 

“Yes, but this one was different. I killed you!” 

“No, I'm alive. If you'd killed me we couldn't talk right now, could we?” Tony stood in front of the door and tried to talk sense into Clint. 

“Jarvis, whatever he tries to do, don't let him open the vents or the windows.” 

“Of course, sir. Lock down will be repealed in one hour and twenty minutes.” The AI said.

“Can you please inform Bruce that I need him up here in one hour and twenty-five minutes?” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Clint...” Tony tried again and knocked at the door. “Please, Bruce will come up soon. You promised me to talk to me till he's here. You promised to show me what happened.” 

“That was before I tried to kill you.” He could hear the muffled voice. 

“You didn't try to kill me. You had a nightmare. A dream.” 

“I ripped your throat out with my teeth.” Clint yelled now and Tony could hear the desperation in his voice. 

“Okay... another idea... you know that the pillar in the living room is really solid.” It was. Since the renovation after Hulk had thrown Loki through the living room he had made the penthouse hulkproof.

“Yes.”  


“We have handcuffs up here and I'm pretty sure we have some chains here, too. You come out and tie yourself to the pillar and then we can talk and you can't harm me. How does that sound to you?” 

“Acceptable.” 

“Okay, I'll set it up and then...” 

“... go away till I'm secured.” Clint interrupted him. Tony sighed. This behavior was really strange but he needed to talk to Clint. He wanted to know what happened and how he could help him. Tony went to the storage and found the chains. He had used them to hold some of the stuff upright while renovating up here. There had to be a padlock somewhere. He rummaged through a few of the boxes and finally found it. With the stuff in his arms he went back to the living room.

It was strange to set this up, to chain his husband down and this time not in pleasurable way. This time to hold him away from him. Tony swallowed. This dream was really unusual. He knew about Clint's nightmares. Never in the time since they were together he had dreamed to harm... no, to kill him. 

Tony wrapped the thick chain a few times around the pillar and then snapped the padlock shut. He fetched the handcuffs from the bedroom and fastened one cuff to the chain and let the other one dangling free. He wanted to call Clint but then he went and fetched an armchair. At least he should have something to sit on. 

With another sigh he went back to the bathroom door and knocked again. “Clint. It's set up, you can come out.” 

“Go away.” He heard the younger man. “And don't tell me where to.” 

“Okay.” He said and then, when he left the penthouse and went out onto the deck he muttered. “This is a loft. The only other rooms are the bedroom and the bathroom.” But he waited outside till he saw Clint. He looked at the armchair and finally sat down. Tony could see him snap the cuff around his left wrist. 

“Okay, let's talk.” He murmured and went in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course it was a dream... ;)


	10. Chapter 10

Clint sat at the armchair, his left hand cuffed to the chain around the pillar in the living room. He seemed really miserable but when Tony wanted to go to him and take him in the arm he shook his head again.

“Tony...” he just said and the older man could hear the pain in his voice. He _knew_ that Clint wanted nothing more than to fall in his arms and to be with him but as long as he didn't trust himself he wouldn't let Tony near him.

“I know, I stay out of reach.” He said and fetched a chair for himself. He placed it outside of Clint's range and sat down 'Will Riker'-style. 

“Tell me.” He said and looked at Clint. He saw him swallow and then he nodded.

“That night in the infirmary... I woke and... and felt good. It was strange. I should've said something. But when I discovered that the wound was gone... Tony, I panicked! I... I didn't wanted to run away, I never wanted to leave you behind. But I thought... what if SHIELD sees this? It's... I don't know... wounds don't disappear without a scar in a few hours.”

“Days.” Tony interposed.

“What?” Clint furrowed his brows.

“We had you sedated for two days because you had a few panic-attacks.” Tony said and that seemed to put him off his stride more than Tony expected. 

“I... I... what? They... they sedated me for two days? But... I...” Tony wanted to rise and cross the distance when his husband shook his head again. With hands raised in a defensive gesture he sat down again.

“I'm sorry, Clint. It was necessary. But I was there the whole time. I had your back.” Tony said quietly. 

“I...”

“You wanted to tell me what happened after you woke up.” 

“Right.” Clint wanted to scratch his nose, then he realized that his left hand was tied and then he took his right hand. Tony swallowed.

“I woke up and I felt good. The doctor, or whatever she was, said that I wouldn't be able to move my arm again but when I woke up I felt good. I removed the bandages and looked at my shoulder... and there was nothing. In the bathroom I saw it in the mirror and then I panicked and thought, that whatever just happened... it's dangerous. I know SHIELD. I work for them long enough now to know what the standard procedure is when an Agent is compromised.” 

“You are not compromised, Clint. You were hurt and...”

“Yes, that's what you would say. The SHIELD-doctors... they would say it's not natural and they would want to analyze what happened.” 

“But...” 

“You can ask Bruce what happens... when... when a military organization wants to analyze something as strange as this.” Clint swallowed hard now and Tony could understand him. He knew what General Ross had done to Bruce and the idea of Clint, locked away in a cage, examined, prodded and probed by countless doctors and scientists... no, that wasn't anything Tony wants to imagine.

“They know that I have a habit to run away out of medical and I thought... maybe... when some time has passed... no one would see anything strange because the wound could be healed till then.” 

“Okay, fair enough. But why did you call me then?” 

“It's not the wound, it's the other changes.”

“Other changes?” Tony frowned and licked his lips. 

“I can see things, hear things, smell things, feel things, taste things... I've never been able to before.” 

“Okay. Uhm...”

“I can hear your heart beat, Tony. I can smell the washing powder from your clothes, the machine oil from the Iron Man suit on your skin. I can see the goose bumps on your arm, Tony. And that's _not_ normal. That's... I don't know...” 

“Unusual?” 

“That's quite understated.” Clint snorted and Tony smirked slightly. “Something happened and the guy we hunted, Dr. Holland, is the reason for it. That's the only thing I know for sure. That beast that attacked me, it was somehow.. I don't know... connected to him. Maybe it was a trained animal or... whatever. But since I met this guy all this strange things happen.” 

“Okay. Then we need to find Dr. Holland and talk to him.”

“But...” Clint started and this time it was Tony who shushed him with a gesture.

“And we need to find him before SHIELD get's him.” Clint nodded now. 

“Sir, lock down will be repealed in five minutes. And Dr. Banner is waiting in the elevator.” Jarvis announced. Tony looked at Clint and when he didn't say anything else Tony addressed his AI.

“Okay, J. Let him in as soon as possible.”

“Of course, sir.” Jarvis said. 

Tony rose, went to the kitchen and prepared two cups of coffee and tea for Bruce. When he was back in Clint's reach he just handed the cup over and then moved back because he'd seen his husbands glance. But on the other hand, he also could see that he was grateful for the coffee. 

He placed the cup with the tea on one of the end tables and then he could hear the elevator and a few seconds later Bruce came around the corner.

“Uhm, hi Tony... Jarvis said... oh... uhm... hi Clint... uhm... do I want to know?” 

“Hey Bruce,” Clint waved at the other man as if it were completely common to find a tied up guy in the living room.

“Since when are you back? And...” Bruce said and then he pointed at the handcuff and turned to Tony.

“Tony?” He asked and he could hear the implied question.

“That was his idea, not mine. If I had tied him up he'd be in the bedroom.” Tony smirked and Clint rolled his eyes.

“It's better you sit down. We have a problem here.” Clint said and pointed at the couch and the cup of tea.

“Okay, I'm all ears.” Bruce said, sat down and took the mug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Sitting down 'Will Riker'-style](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6HMi3jHaCI)


	11. Chapter 11

After Clint was finished explaining all the stuff to Bruce he leaned back and looked at the scientist. He saw him swallow before he removed his glasses and cleaned them. 

“I've never heard of symptoms like this,” he finally said. “Only with Steve who told me the changes after he got the super soldier serum.” 

“Okay,” Clint said and looked at Tony. “What can I do? And is it dangerous? I mean, I've dreamed of ripping out Tony's throat and... and I don't want to harm him.” 

“Understandable.” Bruce sighed and looked at the two men. “I can make a few tests,” he said and when he saw Clint tense up he added, “not like that, Clint.” 

The younger man looked at his husband and finally nodded. “No, you can do whatever is necessary,” he said and gritted his teeth. Bruce could see a muscle twitch at his jaw. 

“You stay here,” he said and Clint lifted a brow and then his chained hand a few inches. “Oh... yeah, right. I'll be right back.” He left and went for the elevator. 

“What do you think?” Clint asked and Tony shrugged.

“I don't know. I... I don't know.” It was probably the first time for Tony to be at a loss. He took the empty mugs and went to the kitchen to refill Clint's. He always wanted coffee when he was nervous. He just came back and handed the mug to the younger man when he heard the elevator doors and Bruce came back. He had a bag in his hand and came over to Clint.

“Bruce, I...” he started but the scientist raised his brow. 

“Believe me, even if you want to, you can't harm me. The other guy will ensure that,” he smiled and placed his bag beside Clint on the floor. He opened it and took a syringe.

“I will start with taking a blood sample. And I may need a few other samples as well.” 

“Take whatever you need.” Clint said and he saw Tony starting to pace. Something bothered him pretty bad. “What?” he asked and Tony looked at him.

“I... please be careful, Bruce.” He said quietly and Clint could see him worry.

“It's okay, Tony,” Clint assured his husband but Tony couldn't stop pacing. 

“Uhm... can I...” Bruce stopped and bit his lip. “Can I have...” 

“Like I said, you can take whatever you need.” 

“You sure?” 

“What do you want to...” Tony started and glared at Bruce.

“Your skin seems... I don't know... different and I wanted to...” he looked at a scalpel in his bag and Clint nodded.

“Do it.” 

“What?” Tony turned now and glared at both of them when he saw Bruce angle for the scalpel. 

“I want to know what it is that happens to me right now, Tony. And it's my body and my decision.” 

“Really? I'm pretty sure I have a say in this as well when you allow him to cut apart my husband.” 

“It's only a tiny cut, Tony. Like a cut on broken glass.” Bruce said and he felt really uncomfortable between the two of them.

“Fine! I'm... I'm going to... I don't know... sit a little bit in the sun out on the deck. Do whatever you want,” he muttered and went to his bar to get the bottle of whiskey.

“Tony, please...” Clint said now and rose to follow him but then got stopped by the cuff around his wrist. “Fuck!” 

“Shall I...” Bruce pointed at the key to the cuffs on counter outside Clint's reach.

“No. Go on, please.” 

Clint could see Tony sit on a deck chair and looking away from them and he felt bad. He knew it hurt him but he had to know what was wrong with him. Bruce took the scalpel and made the tiny cut. But when he had removed the bit of his skin Clint could see that it already started to heal and Bruce had seen it as well.

“Wow, that's... wow. That's faster than Steve, you know?”

“Yes, I know. And that scares the everloving shit out of me,” he admitted.

Bruce continued to take all his samples, blood, saliva, hair, skin, a fingernail, and then he made a few tests, blood pressure, temperature, heart rate and other stuff all the doctors do when they could get their hands on him. Clint explained how his sense of hearing and sight, his olfactory sense, his sense of touch and taste have changed in the last few days and Bruce made notes on a StarkPad.

“Do you know if... I mean... is it possible that it is the X gene?” Clint asked and Bruce cocked his head.

“I'm not an expert but as far as I know you're too old for the X gene. It would've shown up during your puberty.”

“I've always been a late bloomer,” Clint grinned sheepishly and shrugged.

“Uhm... okay. I'll contact Hank McCoy if you want me to. If there's one person who knows anything about the X gene than it's him.” 

“Okay. Thank you, Bruce.” 

“You're welcome,” the older man smiled. “We'll get you fixed, Clint.” He said before he left. 

Tony came back as soon as he had discovered that Bruce was gone. 

“What did he say?” he asked and Clint shook his head.

“Nothing so far. He has to make some tests. And he said he will contact McCoy from the X-Men.” 

“You think it could be the X gene?” Tony cocked his head.

“I don't know. It was just an idea. But in all honesty, I hope it's something else. I don't want to have to quit with SHIELD and the Avengers.” 

“Why would you...” Tony frowned and searched for a StarkPad to work on.

“SHIELD policy: no mutants.”

“That's discriminatory, isn't it?” 

“Probably. But SHIELD is still a government agency,” Clint shrugged.

“Weird. Okay, that's the plan. I try to find Dr. Holland and when I have him I beat the shit out of him till he tells me what he had done to you and you stay on your armchair and...” he looked around, found the remote for the TV, threw it in Clint's direction and the younger man caught it reflexively, “and watch TV and keep your feet low.” 

“Not an option.” Clint shook his head.

“What are you going to do? You're tied up.” Tony smirked.

“You won't go alone to him. What if...”

“Maybe I'll ask Bruce to come with me. Big guy could be really convincing.” 

“No, what if he does the same to you?” 

“Yeah, well... I'm properly packed in my tin can when I go to him. And I'll be not alone.” 

The older man flopped down on the couch and already had started to type on the Pad.

“Tony, no! That guy is dangerous.” Clint said but Tony ignored him.

“Tony, please...”

“I can't hear you,” he just winked in Clint's direction.

“Fine! If you want to get killed. But don't expect me to come to your funeral,” Clint grumbled.

“There will be no funeral in near future. And now, at least let me work when you don't let me kiss you.” 

“I'm not contagious,” Clint shrugged and Tony was at his side in an instant. He carefully leaned down and touched his husband's lips with his own. 

“We'll get this fixed, Clint.” Tony murmured quietly in his ear. 

“I hope you're right. I... this situation, Tony, this scares me. Really,” Clint admitted and touched Tony's arm, very, very carefully.

“I know. Me too. But we get you fixed. Promised. I'm an engineer. We fix things. And we get this fixed as well.” Tony stroked Clint's head and he felt the younger man nod slightly.

“I love you, Tony. I don't know what I would do without you,” he said and Tony had to swallow.

“I love you, too.” This was one of the few moments in Tony's life where he didn't know what else to say and so he just wrapped his arm around Clint and held him.


	12. Chapter 12

Tony woke the next morning with Clint in his arm. He sighed and kissed the back of his neck, let his hand trail down over his chest when he felt the younger man stir as well. 

“Morning, babe,” he murmured and Clint turned around to face his husband. And then, suddenly, he realized that he shouldn't be able to do this. He scrambled out of the bed and fled into the bathroom once again. 

“Fuck? What's wrong now?” Tony yelled. He was a little bit irritated but then he saw the cuffs they had used to tie Clint to the headboard last night and he swallowed. They were broken. 

“Clint?” He went to the bathroom and knocked at the door.

“No, I stay here.” Tony could hear his muffled voice.

“Uhm... I won't destroy your illusions but apparently you've broken the cuffs. I'm not sure a simple wood door could stop you right now. So, you can come out as well and we can talk,” Tony still stood in front of the bathroom and stared at the door.

“What?” Clint asked, his voice high pitched, and he finally opened the door. He looked around his husband and saw the destroyed cuffs still dangling from the steel frame. “Bruce, call Bruce. Please, Jarvis, call Bruce!” Clint swallowed hard and moved out of the bathroom and up to the bed. He touched the cuffs. They were made of solid steel and he wasn't sure if Thor or Steve could break them.

“Sir, Dr. Banner is on his way to you,” Jarvis said and a few minutes later they heard the 'Ping' of the elevator. 

“Good morning, Tony,” Bruce said when the genius fetched the other man. “Jarvis said it's an emergency?” 

“I don't know if it's an emergency but... it's better you take a look.” He led Bruce into the bedroom where Clint still stared stricken with fear onto the broken cuffs. 

“That's the problem,” Tony pointed at Clint and the cuffs and Bruce frowned.

“He insisted that he would only come to bed if I tie him down and this morning we woke up and the cuffs were destroyed.” 

“He broke the cuffs? They...” he trailed off when he saw the expression on Clint's face.

“I'll take them to the lab and examine them. Maybe it's a material deficiency,” Tony said but Clint shook his head.

“You know as well as me that they are okay. It's not the first time we used them, Tony. No, it's me. I'm dangerous. I can hurt you.”

“But you didn't, Clint. You could've hurt me the whole night but you didn't. All you did was snuggle up to me and sleep. Nothing happened.” 

“Clint, I've sent your blood and the samples we collected to Dr. McCoy. You need to calm down now. We find a solution, okay?” 

“Okay.” Bruce wasn't convinced that Clint really believed him but at least he seemed to calm down a bit. Nothing had happened. All he had done was to cuddle with his husband and that couldn't be wrong, could it?

“I'd suggest you two go out, get a nice breakfast and... I don't know... relax. I'll be in my lab and go over your samples.” 

“How can I relax when everything goes down the drain?” Clint looked at Bruce with one of his unreadable expressions.

“Nothing goes down the drain, babe. I've told you, we fix you.” Tony smiled and wanted to take Clint's arm but the younger man refused.

“I'm not sure if it's safe for other people when I leave...” he started but then Bruce looked at him and sighed.

“Okay, I'm rephrasing this. Clint, go out with Tony. Eat breakfast. And when you're back I'm going to ask you if anything happened. Just... act as usual.” 

“He's hot when he's bossy,” Clint grinned now and Bruce blushed. 

 

 

“So? What happened?” Bruce asked when Clint and Tony were back a few hours later.

“Uhm... apparently dogs don't like me anymore.” Clint sat down on the couch and rubbed his face.

“Okay. And that's unusual why?” Bruce looked at Tony with a wrinkle between his brows. But the other man just shrugged.

“I've always liked dogs and they always liked me. In the circus I've fed them when some strays came to our trailers. But now every dog we've met barked like crazy when I was around.” 

“Anything else? Hear something unusual? See something? Smell something?” 

“No, nothing. Everything was like... you know... before. No enhanced senses anymore.” Clint started to toy with the broken cuffs which lay on the coffee table. 

“What about...” Bruce pointed at the cuffs and Clint lifted a brow. But then he understood and tried to destroy the remains. Nothing happened. 

“You okay if I take another blood sample?” Bruce asked and Clint nodded. He looked at Tony who had this 'told you so' expression on his face right now. 

“You should keep an eye on this but right now it seems as if you had been exposed to some... well... virus and that had changed your senses and strength but apparently it's over now.”

“What about the thing with the dogs?” Clint asked and looked from Bruce to Tony and back.

“I don't know. Dogs have never liked me and so... I don't know what's in their mind,” Bruce shrugged and wrote something onto the test tube with Clint's blood. He huffed and then scratched his stubble. “Okay, we'll take a look on your blood every day for... let's say... the next week. And you observe if your strange symptoms come back. If nothing happens I'd say you're okay. Okay?"

“Sure.” Clint nodded and Bruce packed up his bag and rose. He and Tony waited till he was gone and then Clint took Tony's hand and pulled him onto the couch beside him.

“I hope he's right. I... I couldn't stand it if I would hurt you,” he murmured and Tony placed his arm around his shoulder and his chin on Clint's head after pulling him over to him.

“You could never hurt me. You've had more than one chance by now and you haven't done anything to me, baby. I do trust you, you know?”

“God, Tony, I love you so much.” Clint wrapped his arm around his husbands waist and felt his lips brush his temple.

“Not as much as I love you,” Tony murmured and Clint couldn't hold back a smile. He really hoped that Bruce was right, that it was just temporary, that it was over now.


	13. Chapter 13

Over the next week the symptoms subsided completely. Bruce came every day to collect a blood sample. He got a call from Dr. McCoy and he said he found something in his blood but he needed time to identify it. At least, it's not the X gene he'd said. 

Clint was nervous. His enhanced senses were gone but there was something... a restlessness... in him he couldn't explain. He never liked to stay inside for too long but he had agreed to lay low and only Bruce and Tony knew that he was back. 

“I don't know what it is. It's enough to drive one to despair,” Bruce huffed after a week. “I can see it, I can point on it but I can't entitle it.” He wiped over his face with one hand while he held his glasses with the other and he looked as if he hadn't slept too much in the last week. 

“But what does it do?” Clint asked and stirred in his mug. Since he was confined to the penthouse he couldn't do much than sit inside to watch TV or read. He couldn't go out onto the deck because someone could see him.

“We'll find out. Promise,” Bruce smiled and Clint nodded. When the scientist had left Clint glared at the book he had beside him and then at his X-Box. The X-Box won.

 

 

In hindsight it wasn't his best idea to sneak down to the range. Even with Jarvis' help. But he needed the exercise and he was going to get cabin fever. Somehow Natasha realized that he was there and she stormed in and read him the riot act. Twice. First because he disappeared without telling someone and then because he came back and still told no one aside from Tony and Bruce. Her yelling switched from Russian to Ukrainian, to Czech, to German and French and Italian and a few languages Clint couldn't identify and back to Russian and the insults got really creative after some time. 

Clint let her yell and nodded ruefully sometimes till she stopped and glared at him, still breathing really hard.

“I guess Tony will keep the recording till the day he dies,” he grinned finally lopsided and Natasha pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Not funny! Not funny at all,” she growled and poked his chest and Clint nodded once again.

“I know. And I'm sorry. For disappearing and for not telling anyone.” 

“Clint, you know that you're like my brother and that I have your back whatever happens?” 

“I _know_. But... I was in panic and didn't know what to do.” 

“Okay, what happened?” she huffed and sat down on one of the counters at the back wall. Clint removed the string of his bow and then followed her, sat down beside her and started with the realization that his wound had disappeared and he stopped with Bruce's promise that he would find out what it was that hit him. Natasha listened carefully without interrupting him. 

“Show me,” she said when he finished. With a sigh Clint stripped out of his shirt and showed her his shoulder. 

“свято дерьмо” she muttered and touched the unmarked skin. “How's that possible?” She looked up and Clint saw the confusion on her face.

“You haven't seen anything like that before?” 

“Well, that someone heals this fast and without scar? Only with Steve. And even he doesn't heal so fast and without any trace.” 

“Guess I'm fucked. No one has a clue. Bruce sent my blood to Hank McCoy. He said it's not the X gene. But there is something wrong with it.” 

“And you're too old for mutations.” She still examined his shoulder and the mobility in it.

“I was always a late bloomer,” Clint shrugged and she stepped back a bit. He put on his shirt and sat down again. 

“We have to tell Fury,” Natasha took his hand and turned to look at him. 

“Why?” Clint seemed miserable. He didn't want anyone to know about his condition till _he_ knew what it was. Now not only Tony, Bruce and McCoy knew, Natasha would tell Steve and then Fury and Coulson and... SHIELD and... and the world... and then they would lock him up and experiment with him.

“You can't do this on your own. You need help, Clint.” 

“Why?” he repeated and Natasha gritted her teeth.

“Because... because something happened to you and...” she stopped. 

“It's two weeks since the incident now, Nat. I wanted to wait another week and then go back to Fury if everything is okay and apologize and tell him the doctors were wrong. I don't want them to know. You know what would happen. It's not that I don't trust Fury or Coulson but... well, I don't trust them in _this_ matter.” 

“But talk at least to the team. We will cover for you, you know that.” Natasha insisted and finally Clint nodded.

 

 

The team assembled in Tony's and Clint's living room in the penthouse. Thor and Bruce sat at the couch, Steve took the armchair, Natasha one of the bar stools when Tony finally came in.

“Thanks that you all could make it. There's something I need to tell you and... a few already know... but please promise me that you let me finish talking and if you then still think that SHIELD should know then I'm okay with it. Okay?” he said and after a few confused glances from Steve and Thor to the others they all nodded. 

Tony turned around and waved someone over and Clint came in, took the place beside his husband and Tony wrapped his arm possessively around his waist. 

Steve already opened his mouth but a tiny glance from Natasha shut him up. Tony had to grin. Their brave leader was really henpecked since he's with the Russian. 

“Okay, as you can see, Clint is back. And he's well. That's the good news. The...” he looked at the younger man, “the strange news is, that despite the doctor's prognosis that he wouldn't be able to move his arm ever again it healed. And it healed perfectly.” Clint shrugged again out of his shirt.

“We don't know why this happened.” Bruce threw in. “I've tested everything I knew and I've asked a few colleagues for help. So far no one knows what it is.” 

“We thought about talking to Fury and SHIELD but...” Tony stopped and looked at Clint.

“... a few of you knows what it means when a military organization like SHIELD gets their hands on something really unusual.” Clint's eyes moved from Steve to Bruce and then to Natasha. All of them nodded, they understood. 

“What do you expect from us?” Steve asked and looked at Clint. 

“At the moment? Nothing specific. Just... don't tell anyone and...” he locked eyes with Tony for a second and when the older man nodded he continued. “... and in case that I act strange to stop me.”

“I guess we can do that. For the moment.” Steve said and pinched the bridge of his nose. “But if it is dangerous, Clint...”

“I know. The moment we have the proof that I might be dangerous I'll turn myself in.” Clint said and the team could see Tony close his eyes for a moment. He already considered this option and he disliked it immensely. Steve rose and patted Clint's shoulder on his way over to Natasha. 

“We're there for you, Clint,” he said quietly and the archer smiled thankfully at him. No one saw Thor's thoughtful glance in Clint's direction when he left.


	14. Chapter 14

The next day Thor was gone. He said he had to travel to Asgard, he needed to research something that might be helpful with Clint's _little problem_. No one had seen him leave, only Jarvis told them that he was gone. 

And then Bruce got a call from Hank McCoy. He had a lead and needed his help.

“It's no problem at all, I can send my private plane and he's here in an instant,” Tony suggested when Bruce told him but the scientist just shook his head.

“That's nice, but not possible. You know that he has this problem with standard equipment since his second mutation. It's easier for me to fly to him to work there than for you to build a whole new lab with all the special stuff.” He had his bag with him to collect the next blood sample from Clint.

“No problem, I can...” Tony started but Clint shook his head and placed his hand on Tony's arm.

“Bruce knows what he does, Tony. When he says it's better for him to fly to McCoy then it's better. Ouch!” He glared down at his arm where Bruce just took the blood sample. “You should've installed a tap,” he muttered and Bruce smiled. 

“Okay, I'm outta here,” he said, grabbed his stuff and left.

 

 

Bruce called daily and told them about their progress. And as it was, they didn't have one so far. But he called nevertheless and told them what he and McCoy had done. Clint understood only every second word and the rest Tony explained later. They were as wise as before. They wouldn't stop, though. 

On the other hand, they didn't hear a word from Thor. Since he traveled to Asgard he was gone. 

Clint spent his days on the range, with Nat and Steve in the gym or with Tony in their penthouse but when the week was over, nothing had changed, the enhanced senses still were gone. The only difference was that he won against Natasha amazingly often and he even managed to throw Steve a few times down onto the mat. 

“Guess I need to talk to Fury,” Clint said one evening when he and Tony lay in their bed, spent and huddled together after having amazing sex just mere minutes before. 

“Probably. But I still think it's not a good idea.” Tony stroked over Clint's arm with one finger, trailed the veins and sighed. “Clint, I...”

“I don't run away, Tony. Not anymore. And I don't want to leave you.” He turned around and looked at him.

“I'll come with you,” he said and Clint could hear that he was serious.

“No. I'll go to Fury, apologize and tell him that I had panic and ran away but that the doctors were wrong and that I'm back now.”

“What will he do?” Tony's fingers still trailed over Clint's arms.

“There's nothing much he can do. He can yell at me but he can't relocate me since it was him who assigned me to the Avengers, he can't throw me out because then he would lose you and Natasha as well. Maybe he'll suspend me from duty for some time but that's nothing I can't handle.” 

“Okay. You want me to come with you?” 

“No... yes... no, I'm... no, but thanks.” Clint placed a kiss on Tony's shoulder. “I mean, I'd love to have you with me...” He kissed Tony's chest over his heart. “... but this is something I need to do alone.” He licked Tony's nipple, sucked and bit it slightly and when he heard him gasp Clint chuckled. “After all, I'm a big boy,” He moved over to the other nipple and sucked and bit it as well. 

“Clint...” Tony moaned and Clint looked up to him, kissed him and then leaned back.

“Yeah, that's my name.” He smirked and Tony huffed. But then he turned around to face the younger man, placed a hand behind his neck and pulled him over for another kiss, this one full of need and passion. And when he felt Tony's hand at his waist he chuckled and moved to rub his half hard dick against Tony's reawoken erection.

 

 

Of course Fury was anything but happy when Clint appeared in his office the next day. A good dozen agents stood in the corridor and stared uncomfortable at the door and each other when they heard their director yell at someone and when Clint finally stormed out of the office they hurried to look busy.

Clint was right. He didn't relocate him and he didn't throw him out but he also didn't ground him. No, Fury had something nasty in store for him. He was assigned to train Junior Agents for the next few months and when there was one thing he really hated than it was training with Junior Agents. 

But this time Clint didn't even argue with him, he just gritted his teeth, nodded and left the building as fast as possible. Outside he leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. So, officially he was back now. He flipped open his cell and called Tony.

“Hey, babe,” he heard his husbands voice and sighed relieved. 

“Hey. Fury was pretty pissed. But since it wasn't the first time I fled from medical he...” Clint stopped and took another breath. “I have to train Junior Agents the next few months.” 

Tony chuckled. He knew that Clint wasn't overly fond of this task but he would do it to if only to allay Fury's wrath.

“They will the best shots in SHIELD with you as their tutor.” 

“Yeah, probably. I still hate it. Half of them are incompetent and the other half thinks they're god's gift to mankind.” Clint huffed and leaned his head back against the wall. 

“But you still hate it.” Tony stated.

“Yeah.” He straightened himself. “Okay, let's get this done.” 

“What? Right now?” Tony asked, his voice high-pitched.

“Yeah, in an hour.” 

“Okay, then... have fun,” Tony said and couldn't hold back a chuckle. “You can do it.” 

“Let's hope so.” Clint sighed once more and finished the call before he pushed himself off of the wall and went over to the range.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit porn... ;)

It was nearly a month since the attack and no one had seen him or heard from Thor. Bruce called every other day and reported about the progress. It wasn't much so far but they had found some similarities to felines. Clint had huffed and thrown his hands in the air. That much he could've told them as well, the beast that had attacked him had looked like a cat. 

And that he couldn't sleep too well wasn't helpful at all. This afternoon he came back from his punish... uhm... new assignment with a raging headache, threw his gear onto one couch and flopped onto the other, grabbed a cushion and pressed it over his face and screamed in it, kicking with his feet the armrest a few times. 

“I guess it doesn't work out too well?” He heard Tony's voice and when he removed the cushion he saw his husband standing beside the couch, a glass with water and some painkillers in his hand. He held both out for Clint to take and although he didn't like to take meds he sighed and took them nevertheless. He knew Tony was here and had his back.

“Do you have any idea how idiotic these bastards are?” Clint asked when he finally sat up and placed the empty glass on the coffee table.

“I think I have a good idea.” Tony smirked and sat down beside him. “You're complaining about them for quite some time, you know?” 

“Please tell me Bruce found the reason why I can't sleep lately,” he turned again and put his head on Tony's leg who ran his hand through his hair and started to massage Clint's temples. It felt wonderful and he couldn't repress a groan. 

“No, nothing so far. Just the usual 'we're on it'.” Tony sighed and leaned over Clint to kiss him. 

“Hmm, I knew there was something I missed,” he grinned now and Tony kissed him again. 

“How do you feel?” Tony asked when he sat back up and looked at his husband, lying on the couch and looking up to him. Clint shrugged. 

“Dead tired but can't sleep. My skin feels too tight and it itches and I still have a headache,” he summarized without trying to hide anything. He knew that Tony could read him like an open book and he would bug him till he had what he wanted. 

“I can give you one of my Ambien,” Tony suggested but Clint sighed and shook his head. 

“No. Thanks, but no.” He took Tony's hand and kissed his fingers before he sat up. 

“If you change your mind...” 

“... I'll let you know,” Clint finished his sentence and Tony smiled. 

“Okay, let's try something different.” He rose, grabbed Clint's hand and pulled him up as well.

“What do you have in mind?” Clint frowned and Tony's smirk broadened. 

“There's one thing we haven't tried so far,” he still held his hand and led him through the corridors to their bedroom and now Clint couldn't resist to roll his eyes. “I bet when I'm done with you, you'll sleep.” Tony stated and opened the door.

“That sounds...” Clint started but couldn't finish it because Tony had already pressed him against the door and kissed the breath out of him, his hands on Clint's hips. Clint moaned and wrapped his arms around Tony, let his hands wander under his shirt to get in contact with his skin. 

Clint opened his mouth and Tony's tongue touched his while his hands moved in Clint's pants and kneaded his ass. He could already feel his dick harden and when Tony bit his lower lip slightly he groaned but not from pain, far from it. 

“Get out of your clothes,” he panted and he could feel Tony grin without moving back but then he broke the kiss and in an instant the shirt was gone and Clint's followed suit. His naked back hit the cold surface of the door now and he yelped slightly. But when he felt Tony palm him through his pants he forgot the cold and wrapped one leg around his husband's and pulled him close again, kissed him senseless, his hands roaming over his back. 

Tony opened Clint's pants eagerly and when it slipped down his hands were already back on Clint's ass, moving into the crack and he moaned again. 

“Bed?” Tony gasped after a few seconds and Clint could see the straining tent in his sweats.

“Bed,” he nodded and locked together at the lips Clint managed to step out of his pants without tripping and – locked at the lips – walk over to the bed with Tony. When his knees hit the bed Clint gave Tony a tiny shove and he tumbled down and with a grin he lay there and spread his legs slightly. Clint grabbed the waistband and pulled the sweats down together with his boxers. 

Yes, Tony was more than a little bit turned on by now, his dick, hard and dripping pre-cum, bobbed up against his stomach where it lay invitingly and Clint couldn't resist to lick his lips in anticipation. He smirked at Tony, knelt between his legs and licked along his cock, let his tongue swirl over the glans and Tony moaned. 

“I've thought the plan was that I wear you out,” he groaned and Clint chuckled. 

“How about this,” he grinned, “you let me suck you and then you can fuck me into the mattress, how does that sound?”

“Sounds,” Tony moaned again, “... acceptable.” He threw his head back when Clint swallowed his balls and rolled them on his tongue. “Oh gooaaad,” 

Clint sat back a bit, looked up and grinned, “You like that?” 

“Don't stop!” 

“As you wish,” Clint whispered and licked again over the head of Tony's dick, teased the slit with his tongue and suckled it till Tony couldn't keep still, his hips twitched and he fisted his hands in the sheets. And when Clint swallowed him, down to the base, and licked his balls with his tongue Tony could barely hold himself back. “If you... don't stop now... our plan... goes... down the drain,” he gasped and Clint chuckled around his dick but he stopped and moved back, sat up and licked his lips. “Goddammit, I guess I remember why I married you,” Tony panted and looked up at his husband. Clint cocked his head and raised a brow.

“You need a reminder why you married me?” 

Tony let his head drop down and groaned again. “Dork,” he sat up, put a hand behind Clint's neck and kissed him. “As if I ever could forget that,” Tony whispered and kissed him again. “Because you're the most perfect,” another kiss, “beautiful,” kiss, “wonderful,” kiss, “funny,” kiss, “loving,” kiss, “and perfect person I've ever met. And because I love you.” 

“You used perfect twice,” Clint said with a blush. 

“Because it's true,” Tony kissed him once more and then he pushed at his shoulder and both toppled over. Tony's hands wandered down over Clint's arms, his waist to his legs and back to his ass. 

“I love you, too, Tony,” Clint whispered and moaned when Tony circled his hole with his finger. Clint wrapped an arm around Tony, kissed his jaw and sucked a mark on his shoulder. 

“I want you. Now,” Tony murmured in his ear and Clint gasped when his knee pressed against his groin and his hard cock. 

Clint managed to turn around, grabbed the bottle of lube they had on their nightstand and handed it to Tony, who took it with a slight chuckle. “Eager, are we?” 

“Damn straight!” 

Tony kissed his hip, his stomach and the head of his dick before he moistened his finger and breached Clint's hole. The younger man gasped but didn't let go of his husband and when Tony added his second finger he ground his cock against Tony's leg to get some friction while he leaned in to kiss Tony again.

“Fuck me,” Clint moaned when the need became too much and he couldn't stop rubbing against his leg.

“Yes,” Tony sat up and leaned down to kiss him before he turned him on his stomach, kissed his neck, kissed his spine, kissed the dimples over his ass and then both cheeks. 

“Tony,” Clint moaned and he chuckled and spread him and licked over his hole. “Tony, please,” he groaned again. 

In one smooth move Tony leaned over Clint, lined his dick up against his hole and breached, shoved in till he bottomed out. He kissed Clint's neck again and then he started to move his hips, slow, with long but hard thrusts. 

“Oh god, Tony, yes, that's it...” Clint couldn't stop babbling, it was so wonderful to be filled again after the last weeks without sex and Tony knew him too well, he hit his prostate with every stroke. But when he moved his hand to touch his cock Tony grabbed it and put it back beside his head.

“No, babe. Not this time,” he whispered in his ear. 

“Please, Tony, move, touch me, do anything,” he pleaded. The pleasure that had started to build up was exquisite and he needed... he needed... he needed release. Immediately. He started to rub against the sheets but Tony, evil bastard that he was, grabbed his hips and held him immobile. 

“No, please, Tony... help,” he moaned and then, with another kiss on his shoulder, he finally moved his hips faster, pounded him into the mattress with hard and relentless thrusts and then, with a blinding force, the orgasm hit him and he felt his balls draw up to his body and he screamed Tony's name when he came, his seed shooting in thick spurts onto the sheets. And then Tony came as well, filled him and bit into his shoulder with a loud groan. 

He had no idea how long they stayed in this position, Tony's cock in his channel and lying on top of him. But then he moved, turned and pulled Clint onto his side. He couldn't hold back a yawn and Tony chuckled. 

“Guess it worked,” he whispered, put a hand on his cheek and kissed him. Tony reached over him, took one of the wet wipes and cleaned him and himself before he threw it onto the floor. And then he wrapped his arm around Clint's middle and pulled the blanket over the two of them.

“Love you, babe,” Clint murmured and Tony stroked his head with his fingers.

“I love you, too.” 

Clint yawned again and before he closed his eyes to drift away to sleep he looked out of the window. It was full moon.


	16. Chapter 16

Tony woke when his phone rang insistently. He moaned, turned, felt for it on his nightstand and finally managed to accept the call.

“Hmmm,” signaled the caller that he heard them. 

“Stark, get up. We have a problem,” Natasha snarled and Tony opened one eye.

“Problem?” he mumbled and then he heard a sigh.

“Clint!” she said and this time his eyes snapped open immediately. He turned his head and found the bed beside him empty. The sheets were rumpled, more than usual but Clint was gone.

“What happened?” he spat and sat up, already searching for his pants. He found them on the ground in front of the bed.

“The police arrested him this morning. He was disoriented, buck ass nude and covered in blood in the Central Park.” 

“What?!” he yelled into the phone. 

“Calm down, he's uninjured and Fury and Coulson are on their way already.” Natasha huffed. 

“You said he was covered in blood,” Tony slipped into a pair of sneakers and went to the elevator and hit the button.

“It wasn't his. They are testing it.” 

“What did he say?” Tony hit the button a few more times to force the elevator to move faster. It didn't work. 

“He said the last thing he remembers is that he fell asleep together with you. Wait, something happens...” she quit the call and Tony cursed in three different languages but then the elevator stopped and he hurried to the room where he had his suits.

Two minutes later he was in the air and ten minutes later he was at the precinct and Natasha awaited him outside of the door. He stepped out of his suit and turned to her.

“What happened?” he asked immediately and Natasha opened the door to lead him in. 

“They found a dead body and...” 

“They think it was Clint?” Tony stopped for a second to stare at Natasha incredulously. 

“Calm down, Tony. They have to follow all possible leads,” she said and pinched the bridge of her nose. “And they said it was probably an animal who killed the man. But...” 

“Where is he now? And can I see him?” Tony stopped again and glared at her but Natasha only raised her brow. 

“That's what I try to tell you for some time but you always interrupt me. He's in one of their interrogation rooms and Coulson is with him while Fury talks to the Captain.” She gestured in a direction. “Follow me.” 

Tony nodded. Why was Clint naked in the Central Park? And why was he covered in blood? When Natasha opened the door Tony followed her in and they both saw Clint sitting on a chair, handcuffed to the table. He wore a tracksuit with the NYPD logo on it, probably something the cops had given him. Coulson sat opposite of him and just wrote into his note book. 

“Tony!” he sounded relieved when he saw him and he rushed in to him. He wrapped his arm around Clint and hugged him and he felt him relax slightly in his arms. 

“Oh my god, Clint. You scared the bejesus out of me.” He petted his hair and it felt clammy and dirty. “How are you? And what happened? Why did you leave?” Tony bombarded him with questions and Clint shook his head. Natasha gestured at Coulson and the two of them left the room and Tony took the chair Coulson had used, shoved it around the table to sit beside Clint.

“What happened, babe?” he asked again, this time softer. 

“I don't know. Really. I know that I fell asleep with you last night and then I woke because some woman screamed. Apparently her dog had found me and barked and growled like crazy. She called the cops.” 

The door opened and Coulson and Fury came in, followed by another man. The man took a key chain out of his pocket and opened the cuffs around Clint's wrist.

“You can go, Agent,” Fury said. “You're not allowed to leave the city and, you know, the whole stuff. They still wait for the test results.” 

“Sir, I'm pretty sure that I...” 

“I don't want to talk about this now. We're talking about it on base.” 

“On base? But sir...” 

“It's part of the deal, Barton. You stay on base till they have the result.” Fury stated and when Tony opened his mouth he threw a glance in his direction. 

“We're talking about this when we're on base, Mr. Stark,” he repeated and nodded at the police officer. 

“I'll come with you,” Tony stated but Fury shook his head. 

“No, Mr. Stark. This is SHIELD intern and...” But Tony interrupted him and glared at him. 

“Bullshit! _This_ is my husband and I go with him.” He folded his arms in front of his chest. 

“It's okay, Tony. I'm pretty sure the matter will clear up soon.” Clint smiled and put a hand on Tony's arm. “Natasha and Coulson are there, too.” 

“And why can't I come with you?” Tony glared now at Clint.

“You know what I've said? When it's dangerous...” 

“They can't prove that it's been you, Clint and as long as we don't have...” Tony tried again but Clint shook his head. He nodded at Coulson and then he hugged Tony.

“The cops took a blood sample. Find it and send it to Bruce,” he whispered in his ear. “I can manage this here.” 

Tony moved back and looked at Clint incredulously. But then he nodded, hugged him again and kissed him. “I love you,” he whispered before he stepped back reluctantly. 

Clint left the precinct together with Coulson and Fury and Tony waited together with Natasha till they were gone. “What do you think, where would they keep a blood sample?” he asked quietly and Natasha raised a brow and then smirked. 

“I have an idea,” she said and when she pointed her head to a door and Tony followed her.

 

 

Clint was in the room they had given him for the time he had to stay at base. When the doctors had examined him and discovered the _mysterious healing_ of his shoulder they put him through the mill. They repeated each and every examination Bruce had performed before but Clint didn't tell them. He knew that the SHIELD doctors weren't bad but he would put his money on Bruce and McCoy to find a solution. But he had told them everything he knew about the injury and its disappearance. 

He hadn't been hungry but Coulson had dragged him to the cafeteria to eat supper and he had finally agreed but now he was back in the quarter. He had lived here before but now that he'd moved to the Tower he realized how tiny the rooms really were. 

With a sigh he flopped down on the _bed_ and stared at the ceiling for a few seconds. He already missed Tony. But then he turned to his side and shut off the light. He was tired and maybe it wasn't a bad idea to try to sleep. There wasn't anything else he could do anyway. 

It didn't take too long till he was asleep but then he started to stir in his bed. He dreamed and it wasn't a pleasant dream. 

_Bright light through the windows... the full moon... restlessness... air, he needed air... the moon... it was too warm... he left the tower... his skin itched... trees... pain... so much pain... the moon... he screamed... a scent, alluring... pain... the moon... he fell, writhed, convulsed... pain... prey... he could smell it... the moon... his feet, they felt different... the smell was so invitingly... he ran... he lurked... the full moon shone on him... he could see his prey... he could smell it... he could taste it... blood... the coppery taste... the death scream... the triumph... he tasted the hot flesh... the blood..._

And then he screamed!!


	17. Chapter 17

“Sir, we have a security breach. Living quarters C-3.” Agent Manson said and Phil's head snapped up. 

“What kind of security breach?” He rose and came over to look over the Agent's shoulder. 

“It's...” Manson stopped and looked at him before she continued. “It looks like an animal,” she pointed at the screen and Phil pressed a button to freeze the pictures on the screen. 

“What the...” Phil blurted out. In all his time he had seen many things but he had no idea what _this_ could be and how it managed to sneak into the base and into one of the buildings. 

“Call Director Fury. Full lockdown of the C-wing,” He snapped a second later and Manson nodded. He had grabbed his phone and called a few agents to meet him at the building where they saw the animal. 

He hadn't seen the beast that had attacked Clint a month ago but he had described it and it looked a lot like it. Maybe Dr. Holland had somehow managed to send this beast into their base. But Phil knew that this was impossible. No one could come in who wasn't supposed to be here. So, how could this creature manage to get in? 

They would find out. He met the agents at the door to C-3 and he tapped his comm. “Is the animal still in there?” he asked and Agent Manson confirmed it. “Don't kill it, I want it alive to be examined, understood?” Phil opened the door with his security pass.

“Yes, sir,” the five agents said and followed him into the building. They had tranquilizer guns and tazers. He ordered Agent Kerry to come with him and the other four agents formed two teams. Agent Manson would lead them since she had the footage from the surveillance cameras. The only problem was, there weren't too many cameras in there. Only in the common areas and the stairwells since private quarters should be, well, private. 

“Where is it?” Phil asked and Manson said that she had seen it entering the third floor. He sent the two other teams to the two staircases and he and Kerry went to the elevator. 

“Manson, activate one of the elevators,” he ordered and a second later the door opened and they went in. They rode to the third floor and when the door opened again Kerry carefully looked out. He nodded when the coast was clear. 

Phil listened carefully and locked eyes with Kerry for a moment and they both agreed to go left, their tranq guns drawn and ready to shoot. He sneaked to the corner, covered by Kerry and looked around. But the corridor was empty. Together they turned and then Phil saw that one of the doors was open. Carefully he went over, peeked into the quarter and found a man lying on his stomach, blood around his head. But the animal wasn't here and so he went in and felt the man's pulse. He was alive and when he turned him around he could see a deep gash on his cheek, it looked like it came from a claw. It seemed as if the animal had attacked him. The man, Agent Thompson as he recognized now that he had turned him around, was unconscious but stable.

“Manson, send a medical team to C-3. As soon as we have the beast we need them. And Manson, you've sent the lockdown alarm, right?” Agents in their quarters got a signal that they should stay inside in case of an emergency and not open the doors until the lockdown was canceled. Phil looked at Thompson's door. It seemed as if he had opened it himself.

“Medical team is in position in two minutes, sir. And yes, I know the procedure.” She said. The agents shouldn't open the door during lockdown. Not because they couldn't defend themselves but because when they send a team they would interfere. 

“Send the lockdown alarm again, Agent Manson,” Coulson ordered and then he nodded at Kerry. Together they left the quarter and closed the door behind themselves. But when they turned right, they heard Agent Li's voice.

“Sir, the animal is here,” she said and Coulson nodded at Kerry who started to run in the direction. Phil followed suit. Li and Gomez had used the left staircase.

“Don't kill it, if it's not absolutely necessary. Understood?” He snapped. He really wanted the animal alive to find out what it was. He had never seen something like this and when Dr. Holland and AIM created strange animals he wanted to know what kind of animals. 

But when they heard a scream he and Kerry started to run faster. When he came around the corner into one of the seating areas he saw the animal.

“Holy mother of god,” Kerry blurted out and Phil agreed with him. The... well... animal was catlike, just as Clint had described it. It had black fur and a long tail. But the way it _sat_ there, one paw on Gomez's chest and its teeth bared, was anything but a cat. If he didn't know it better he would say it was part human or hominid, he couldn't tell. It growled dangerously and Phil could see the fear in Gomez's eyes. Two tranquilizer darts stuck in it but it didn't seem affected by them. Kerry reached for his Glock but Phil shook his head.

No, he still wanted the beast alive to examine it. Slowly he raised his tranq gun but the animal turned around and growled at him now. Phil could see similarity to a huge cat, a panther in some sort. But there was something in its eyes, something... something he'd seen before. 

The animal stared at Phil and... and it cocked its head. Li, who stood behind it now, raised her tranq gun, aimed and shot. The dart hit the animal in its neck. It turned around, roared and jumped in her direction in a really strange way and Kerry shot from the other side and before the beast could attack her it finally went down. 

“Is it alive?” Phil asked after a few seconds only staring at the strange animal and Kerry leaned down and held his hand in front of his nose – very, very carefully. But then he nodded.

“Yes, sir.” 

Phil tapped his comm. “Agent Manson, cancel lockdown. Send in the medical team and we need a cage. We have the beast.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

Li went over to Agent Gomez and helped him up. He wasn't hurt too much, just a few tiny scratches. 

“Report, Agent,” Phil said and Agent Li turned. 

“Sir, I haven't seen such a strange behavior in an animal before. It seemed as if it wanted to... well... just leave the building. It only attacked us when we shot with our tranq guns at it. But even then it didn't attack to kill, it just knocked Agent Gomez flat and then you came around.” 

Phil heard footsteps from behind. He nodded at Kerry who went with the medics to Agent Thompson's quarter. 

“Sir, the cage is outside of the building. Do you want us to bring it in?” Phil heard a new voice. He looked at the unconscious animal on the floor. 

“No, we bring it down,” he tapped his comm again and then he nodded at Gomez and Li. The Agents Tucker and Westerfeld, who had taken the right stairwell, arrived and Phil just gestured at them to help the other two agents. They should carry it to down the stairs. It was too dangerous to be in a small elevator car with the beast should it come around. In the staircase they could drop it and then fight it. 

Phil followed them down and watched them maneuver the cat into one of the mobile cages and he locked it in. 

“Bring it to the basement. Lock it in and make sure that it's secure. I want a team of scientists there tomorrow morning and I want them to tell me what the fuck _this_ is,” they heard Nick Fury's voice and when Phil looked over his shoulder he saw the Director arrive and stare at the animal in the cage. 

“Holy fuck, I've never seen something like this,” he muttered when the agents hurried to follow his orders. Phil sighed and turned around. 

“The more interesting question is, how could it come inside?” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'll let someone check all the surveillance footage from every camera around and I'll send agents to search for traces,” he added then and Fury nodded.

“Okay, but you should sleep sometimes. You look like shit,” he said and Phil couldn't resist to roll his eyes. He watched the agents roll the mobile cage away and over to the building with their prison in the basement. 

“I can't go home now. Not now, Nick, and you know that.” Phil gestured at the cage and the animal and Fury shook his head.

“Then use your fucking couch in your office. You sleep there more than in your own bed anyway. That's an order.” 

Phil mockingly saluted but smiled. “Yes, sir.”


	18. Chapter 18

Phil woke with a start when his phone rang. He was slightly confused for about half a second but after shaking his head he was awake. “Sir! Sir!” he heard an upset voice as soon as he pressed the button and moved it up to his ear. 

“What?” he said, maybe a little bit too harsh but he had slept just – he looked at his watch – fifty minutes. He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Sir, we need you here. Immediately. The... the animal... it's... you need to see it.” 

Phil rose, sighed and grabbed his jacket. 

“I'll be there in a few minutes.” He quit the call, put his phone in his pocket, straightened his tie and put on the jacket. Agent Dawson had sounded really upset and he was curious why they had called him. He entered the elevator, rode down to the basement, walked to the security door, punched in his code, pressed his thumb on the fingerprint reader and said his name for the voice verification before the door opened. 

The Agents Dawson and Miller already awaited him and they seemed nervous.

“Report, Agent,” he had his Phil Coulson, badass SHIELD agent persona put on and looked at Dawson. The younger man licked his lips.

“The animal... you know the one you wanted the scientists to take a look at... I guess it's better when you see it yourself.” 

Dawson was here for two years now and he shouldn't be as rattled as he was now. So it had to be something unusual. Phil nodded and went to the cell where they had locked in the cage. Since Loki they went for better safe than sorry. The young agent unlocked the door and then nodded and Phil opened it and went in.

He'd expected everything but not that. His eyes went wide and honestly, he didn't know what to say. There wasn't an animal in the cage. No, he currently looked at a stark naked and pretty confused Clint Barton. 

“Sir?” 

“Everyone out!” Phil barked and Dawson and Miller left hurriedly. 

He went over to the cage and hunkered down to be at eye level with Clint. 

“Talk to me,” he said and sighed. 

“Why am I here? And why am I...” Clint looked down at himself and then back at him, Phil. “... naked?” 

“That's the question I wanted to ask you.” 

“I was in the quarter and went to bed and then... then I woke up here.” Clint sat on the floor of the cage and covered his privates with his hand now. “I... I dreamed.” 

“What did you dream?” Phil asked and Clint shrugged.

“It was... weird...” He sat up and came to the bars. “Can I get out of here? I mean... this is weird, too.” 

“Give me a few minutes. I need to check something first,” he said and rose and Clint nodded. He was right. This situation _was_ weird. 

Phil left the cell and went to the control-room, shooed Dawson, who had taken the seat in front of one of the screens, away to look over the surveillance video. He sat down and Dawson and Miller stayed in the back. They had seen it before. Phil pressed the rewind button and then stopped when he saw that something happened in the cage. 

He let the video run forward and watched it. He saw the agents roll the cage into the cell and then leave. He saw the animal lying in the cage, still unconscious. The first few minutes nothing happened but then it stirred, it woke, sat up in a grotesque way and its fur started to ripple, it changed. Its front legs seemed to shorten and the fur disappeared and the animal screamed – roared? howled? – and thrashed around in the cage, it convulsed in pain while the transformation proceeded, its hind legs changed and it looked painful just from his position, to feel it seemed to be far more unpleasant. It reared up one last time and then he slumped down, once again unconscious. But it wasn't an animal any longer. It was Clint Barton. 

Phil stopped the video, stared at the screen and pinched the bridge of his nose. _Fucked up beyond all recognition!_

“You two keep quiet about this,” he said and looked at Dawson and Miller. 

“But, sir...” Miller said and Phil shook his head. 

“No. I'll talk to Director Fury and... whomever it concerns but you two are not allowed to talk about this to anyone but Director Fury and me. That's an order.” 

“Yes, sir,” both, Miller and Dawson, said. But Phil could see that they shared an uncomfortable look. 

Phil rose and left the room. He sighed again. Should he call Fury or Stark first? He deliberated a few seconds before he grabbed his phone and dialed. He pressed the phone to his ear and waited till he heard a tired but wide awake voice. 

“Stark, Coulson here.... yes, it's about Clint... just... just come over to the base... yes... I have to inform Director Fury... I'm sorry, just come over.” He quit the call and stared at the phone for a long moment. He knew he should've called Fury first but Clint was a friend and he definitely needed his husband right now. 

He dialed again. 

“Nick, Phil here... yes... yes, it was an emergency... you should come down to the basement immediately... yes, you're right... okay.” He put his phone back in his pocket and went to the cell again, opened it and went in. Clint still sat in the cage, he had his legs drawn up to his body and had his arms wrapped around them. It was cold in here. He took his phone again, called the control-room and told Miller to get a few clothes for Clint. 

“So, what happens now?” Clint asked and Phil sighed once more. 

“I... I have no idea, honestly. I've seen a lot of shit in my career but this? This is...” he gestured with his hand and then he shook his head. “This is really fucked up.” 

“Yeah,” Clint snorted, pressed his lips together. “Maybe you want to call Bruce as well,” he said and looked away, a slight hint of guilt in his eyes.

“Bruce? But why?” Phil furrowed his brows.

“He... he knows a few things... about me.” Clint admitted and Phil sighed for the umpteenth time. 

“Okay,” he nodded and opened the door when he heard a knock. It was Miller with a SHIELD tracksuit. Phil took it, handed it to Clint and then turned to leave again. 

“I've called Tony, Clint. He'll be here soon. And then we have to talk.” 

“Yes... yes, I know.” Clint put on the clothes and when Phil wanted to leave he added quietly, “Sorry, sir.” 

“What for?” Phil turned and looked at him, his brow raised.

“For not trusting you.”


	19. Chapter 19

“Holy shit!” Nick cursed while Phil stopped the recording. He didn't say a word for a very long moment but then he just repeated, “Holy shit.” 

“Indeed, sir,” Phil confirmed and sat down on the other side of his desk. 

“I've seen lots of bullshit since I'm director here but this? This is something new.” Nick tapped his finger against his arm and scrutinized Phil. 

“What is this – he – Barton?” He asked then and Phil sighed.

“I don't know, Nick. I really don't. The animal... it resembles some big cats but... different... I don't know.” Phil looked ten years older and he shook his head. “Barton described the animal that had attacked him last month and the description fits. But he couldn't have attacked himself.” 

“Maybe it's some sort of virus and now Barton has it?” Nick scratched his head and Phil shrugged. 

“I've called Dr. Banner. He said he and Hank McCoy work on the problem already and he will come back as soon as possible. Stark will be here in a few minutes and maybe he knows more,” Phil sighed. 

Right on cue they heard turmoil outside of Nick's office and his assistant opened the door and told them that Stark and Rogers were here.

“Let them in,” Nick nodded and just a second later the genius, followed by Captain Rogers, stormed into the room.

“Where's Clint? And what happened?” He demanded to know, put both hands on his desk and leaned forward.

“Calm down, Mr. Stark. We're going to explain everything we know.” Phil said and Nick gestured at the other empty chair. Rogers stood behind Stark, his arms folded over his chest and a determined expression on his face. 

“I don't want to sit, I want to know what happened and I want to know where Clint is now!” Stark repeated and Nick nodded at Phil who started the video again. Both, Stark and Rogers, watched it and when he saw the change Stark paled and barely managed to sit down, his knees suddenly gave in. 

“Is he okay?” Rogers asked and Nick shared a glance with Phil. 

“He seems to be.” Phil said and Stark glared at him now.

“What's that supposed to mean?” He spat and wanted to rise but Rogers put a hand on his shoulder and he stayed on the chair. 

“You've seen the recording, Mr. Stark,” Phil said and pointed at the screen. “Can you tell me what that is?” 

“No.” Stark admitted and slumped down. 

“How long do you know, Mr. Stark?” Nick asked now and he saw Rogers lick his lips uncomfortably. 

“We didn't know about this,” Rogers said and pointed at the screen now. 

“But?” Nick moved his index finger in circles to ask them to go on. 

“When he disappeared from medical... his shoulder was fully healed.” Stark admitted and both, Phil and Nick, frowned. 

“How?” Nick asked and he sounded more impatient now. 

“That's what Bruce and Dr. McCoy try to find out. Clint said he woke and his shoulder itched and when he looked at it it was healed. He panicked and disappeared. Since he's back Bruce tries to find out what's wrong with him.” Stark looked at Rogers and when he nodded he sighed but continued. “He had some strange symptoms. Increased senses, weird dreams and dogs react violently to him.” 

“He was restless the last few days, couldn't sleep,” Rogers added and Stark nodded. 

“Anything else?” Phil asked and Rogers nodded.

“It's not the X-gene, Dr. McCoy said. But there is something in his blood and it's feline.” Stark said and Phil furrowed his brows.

“The animal – well, Barton – looked feline in that form.” 

“So...” Nick said slowly and tapped his thumb against his chin. “Barton changed into an animal. Does that sound familiar to anyone?” 

“I've never seen anything like this before. At least not from a non-mutant.” Phil said and looked at Stark and Rogers. But while Stark only shrugged Rogers pursed his lips as if he had an idea.

“We think it's some virus A.I.M. had designed and maybe Dr. Holland got infected,” Stark said, “but so far we have no idea how because it's not airborne. We think that he got purposefully infected.” 

“And we haven't heard from Thor since he left. He said there's something he needed to research and then he traveled to Asgard.” Rogers added then. 

“All in all, we have nothing, right?” Nick summarized and huffed frustrated. 

“I want to see Clint. Now.” Stark demanded finally and Nick was impressed that he had been patient enough to talk to them first but now his patience was over. Nick looked at Phil and when he shrugged he looked back to Stark. 

“Okay, Agent Coulson will go with you,” he sighed. Both, Phil and Stark rose and left the room. Rogers stayed, sat down on the chair Stark had just left and looked at his hands.

“Spill it,” he said and Rogers bit his lip. 

“I know it's quite a stretch, sir, but... we've seen lots of strange things. And I mean really strange things.” He looked up and waited till he nodded. 

“Go on,” he said and Rogers took a deep breath. 

“I mean... There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dream't of in your philosophy.” 

“Shakespeare, Hamlet,” Nick smiled and Rogers nodded. 

“Director Fury, I _know_ this sounds ridiculous and straight out of fairy tales but let's summarize what we have. He changes into an animal, it's full moon and he got bitten exactly one month ago.” 

Nick looked at Rogers for a long moment and he felt a muscle twitch at his chin. 

“It's feline, Captain,” he stated and Rogers nodded. 

“Who says it always has to be lupine?” 

“You're right. It sounds straight out of a fairy tale.” Nick pinched the bridge of his nose. “You talked to the others about your theory?” 

“No, not yet.” Rogers rose and started to pace in his office. “Like you've said, straight out of a fairy tale.” 

“Let's not eliminate this option right away.” Nick tapped his arm again and watched Rogers walk up and down while thinking. 

“But as long as we don't find Dr. Holland we can't prove anything. I'm pretty sure he knows what happened to Clint.” He stopped and looked at him, Nick. “That animal that attacked Clint, that could be him, Dr. Holland, right?” 

“Probably. And that's why you should concentrate on finding him.” Nick pointed out and Rogers, who had started to pace again, stopped once more, placed both hands on the backrest of the chair in front of him and frowned.

“He's your teammate and I guess your chances are better since you are – well – the Avengers.” 

“The Avengers? Bruce is not available and I doubt that you're going to let Clint help to search for him.” Rogers snorted and Nick raised his brow but nodded. “What about McCoy?” Rogers asked.

“We're going to contact him and see what he and Banner have.”

“And Clint?” 

“He stays here. We don't know how dangerous he really is.” Nick sighed and Rogers raised a brow.

“Tony won't like that,” he said and a small smile appeared around his lips and Nick sighed once more.

“I know. Don't you think I don't know that? But that's something I have to live with.” Rogers' smile broadened slightly. They both knew how annoying Tony could be especially when it's about his husband.

“Oh, the blood!” Rogers, who was already at the door to leave, turned back again and when Nick cocked his head he added, “They found him in the Central Park covered in blood. Was it from the dead man?” 

“No. It was duck blood.” Nick said after looking at the papers he had gotten from the NYPD again.

“So, the dead man was attacked by an animal, something large, right?” Rogers came back and sat down once more. 

“At least that's in the coroner's report.” 

“That means, either there is a dangerous animal loose in the Central Park or Dr. Holland is here and he – or his animal if it's not him – killed that man.” 

“That means, Captain Rogers, you, Agent Romanov and Mr. Stark have to find him as fast as possible.” He leaned forward, his hands folded and Rogers stared at them but then he nodded.

“Okay. I'm going to talk to Tony and to check on Clint. And Director...” 

“Yes, yes, I know...” He huffed. He knew that, even if they didn't want to admit it, the Avengers were more like a family by now and they didn't like it when one of theirs got harmed. 

Rogers smiled, nodded again and closed the door behind himself.

Werewolves... well, were-cats? That was new, even for him. But hell, not long ago he'd never thought that Asgardians could actually exist, so why not were-whatevers?

**Author's Note:**

> [asamandra on tumblr](http://asamandra.tumblr.com/)


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